


Mightier than the sword

by Soroka



Category: One Piece
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Adventure, Character Development, Friendship, Gen, Horror, Mystery, Nakamaship, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-09
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-24 03:16:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 45,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1589669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soroka/pseuds/Soroka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sanji's soft spot for the hungry proves to be particularly inconvenient as the Straw Hats come across an island with a terrible secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The calm and the storm

Sanji was humming to himself.

It was a habit that he had picked up during all those long early mornings at the Going Merry when he was alone in the kitchen and the grey light was only beginning to seep through the humongous window on the ceiling. Back at the ship, humming some half-forgotten tune helped him distract himself and broke the monotony of cutting thick slices of ham and cracking eggs on a pan. Now, as he was running along the beach seeking out the swordsman, he was doing it to concentrate.

He would never admit it to Zoro, but Sanji had always envied his ability to enter an almost Zen state when he fought. When Zoro took out his katana the outside world blended into the background for him. Watching him in battle was like watching a very carefully executed dance where a step in the wrong direction could slice you into ribbons. He had been his dance partner way too many times to underestimate him but as his eyes scoped out the beach and the grey cliff overlooking it, he couldn't help but feel a little bit worried.

Worried and angry. Angry like never before.

"I figured you would come."

Sanji stopped in his tracks at the sound of a calm level voice and spotted Zoro's silhouette etched against the bottom of the cliff. The green haired swordsman was standing in front of an entrance to a cave so overgrown with wild ivy that Sanji almost didn't notice it at first. Zoro turned his back to him and stepped towards the green maw, completely ignoring the cook and only a strong kick to his head made him turn around and glare at him menacingly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Sanji returned the glare and lifted his left leg again. Good, maybe he wouldn't need the humming after all. Fighting with Zoro was, in turn, the one thing that made the outside world fade into oblivion for him. Maybe their animosity would finally be useful for something.

He chose to save his second kick for later.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Who do you think you are to leave me in the dust like that?"

Zoro let out a mix between a sigh and an annoyed growl.

"Stupid cook, you're useless in this fight! I don't have time to watch your back! This can actually get ugly."

"What did you just say?" Sanji could feel his blood boiling as he stared down the swordsman whose eyes were almost mocking him. "Who told you I needed you to watch my back, moss-for-brains? I can fucking take care of myself!"

"Sure, we could all see how well that worked out last night." Sanji could feel his stomach sinking at the memory and maybe Zoro noticed because he turned his back to him again and sheathed his blade. "Go back, Sanji. Take care of the others. Leave this thing to me."

The mention of his name froze him on the spot as did the sudden change of his tone. He was used to Zoro yelling at him, being condescending to him and even making fun of him but the unexpected softness in his voice made his fingers curl into fists as rage rose inside him like a tidal wave. He was dismissing him; he was actually dismissing him like one would a child or a wide-eyed teenager picking up a weapon for the first time. Sheer fury propelled him forward as he hooked his foot around Zoro's shoulder and made him turn so abruptly that they both swayed where they stood.

"Fuck you, seaweed-head! I'm not letting you go there alone!"

Zoro's steely eyes looked at him impassively. Finally he shrugged and tossed his head towards the darkness ahead.

"Be my guest. It's your funeral."

* * *

Later, Usopp would proudly tell everyone that he was the first one to think that the island was weird.

It had looked like a nice place, quiet and isolated, a tiny speck of land in the middle of the sea. They didn't see many ships when they docked and the ones they saw were tiny fishing boats. Nami had officially declared it was the perfect place to restock and get some rest and Luffy and Usopp almost didn't wait for her final confirmation to run wild and blend with the locals who proved amused and a little frightened of the captain's rubber powers. The kids had instantly taken to Chopper and had seemingly agreed to treat him like something between a new friend and a fuzzy pet. Robin and Nami had decided to spend their time sunbathing and huddling over old books and maps at the old library. Even the swordsman, snoring as he was on the deck, oblivious to everyone and everything around him, looked more relaxed and glad to have stopped for a while. As Sanji wandered the island's bustling market, marveling at all the fresh fruit and vegetables and the endless possibilities they offered, he couldn't help but feel a bit relieved to finally have solid earth under his feet. As much as Luffy and the rest loved the Going Merry, they had been cooped inside the ship for too long and walking about a new place was refreshing.

Well, maybe the statues were a little weird. As he strolled across the market, he had spotted some of them on corners, hidden behind pillars and, sometimes, right in the middle of the street. They were statues of people of all ages, carved out of white marble and so amazingly detailed that he had thought they were just street performers at first. It was only when he had walked closer that he noticed the dead stone eyes and that they were cold to the touch. Some of them looked frozen mid pace while others appeared to be covering their heads or eyes. And finally, there were the ones that were just kneeling on the cobblestones. At first he had marveled at them but as the day went on and his gaze lingered on them longer and longer, a strange sense of unease crept into him. Luffy and Usopp had poked them for a while until they got bored, he had seen Nami frown as she passed a statue of a small child hugging the library wall as if playing hide and seek and when Zoro woke up, he had given them his best this-is-really-fucked-up look before ignoring them for a while and looking for a place that sold anything fermented.

"What do you think they are?" Luffy asked, his mouth full of apple pie from a nearby stand. "They look alive, don't they?"

Robin lifted her head from her book and smiled.

"I think they're supposed to, captain. They are there to remember the dead."

"What?" Nami had looked at her puzzled. "These're supposed to be statues of dead people?"

"That's the impression I got from the locals. They're like tombstones where people can honor the memory of their loved ones."

A shadow crossed Nami's face at the revelation. She was probably thinking back to the statue of the little boy hugging the wall. The tangerine smoothie Sanji had made for her quivered a bit in her hand.

"They're just being practical, I guess. It's a small island, not enough space for a proper graveyard. They probably just burn their dead and scatter their ashes" Robin continued absentmindedly.

The tangerine smoothie sloshed dangerously in Nami's grip.

"Though eventually I guess they will run out of space and the whole town will be crowded by..."

"Okay...okay I get it" Nami put her drink down on an empty barrel and shook her head in disbelief. "Doesn't... doesn't that seem horrible? Seeing death around every corner?"

Robin smiled.

"Death is a part of life, isn't it? I'm sure that's how they choose to see it."

And it seemed to be true. Despite the bizarre statues, the place could not have looked more normal. It was only when they announced that they would be staying for a couple of days when they had started to feel the anxious glances around them. Someone had even suggested that they should sail now to take advantage of the wonderful strong wind but Luffy was having way too much fun to get stuck on a ship again and so was his crew. As the day grew older, they retreated back to the shore under the watchful eye of the locals and stayed next to the ship wolfing down Sanji's takoyaki and drinking root beer until the day bled out in the sky and darkness fell.

It was then when they heard the scream.

It was without a doubt a female scream and it tore the quiet night air like a razorblade. They just sat there dumbfounded for a split second and then Zoro dropped his empty mug and shot up like a released spring. Everybody else was hot on his heels as they raced towards the houses in the distance where lights were starting to come on like dozens of tiny eyes illuminating the island. The air around them suddenly grew cold, too cold for a warm summer night and definitely too cold for their current location. The darkness, so soft and welcoming just a minute ago, now seemed alive and almost oily. As they ran deeper into the town past the white marble statues reflecting the light from the windows, Sanji could not repress the uncomfortable thought that they looked like ghosts.

What they saw next, however, almost made him wish they were.

The screamer was a girl no older than seven who was now cowering on the ground of the square where the market had taken place. Right in front of her, the lights from the windows around them shone on a writhing dark mass that vaguely resembled the shape of a person in torn doctor's garments. Or at least, Sanji had thought it resembled a person until he realized that the rags it was clothed in had a life of their own. The creature slid towards the girl in total silence, almost like a snake as she stumbled back, trembling but too terrified to scream again. As she clumsily moved backwards, never daring to look up, one of the rags twisted into the shape of a human hand and wrapped itself around her wrist.

Sanji's body moved on its own before he realized what he was doing. He raced forward and grabbed the girl's hand dragging her away from the slithering darkness split seconds before Luffy's fist plunged into the creature and knocked it back. As he looked for a place safe enough for the child clinging to his arm, he could see Zoro leaping into action and slashing the creature that slid even further back. For a second, Sanji could swear he had seen it grow a little.

A second later he was completely sure of it.

He carefully pushed the girl towards Nami and ran to the center of the square where Luffy and Zoro were trying to dodge the rags that looked more and more like tentacles. His left foot slammed against the surprisingly solid shadow and as the creature went down, cracking the pavement, he almost gasped as a sudden chill went up his leg and into his body. The shadow, no longer resembling a person but a lumpy, black mess let out a piercing cry and, like a giant wolf, lunged towards the girl in Nami's arms. Sanji heard a swooshing sound behind him and ducked just in time as Zoro shot past him like a hurricane. His blades sank into the dark mess on the cobblestones and the cook was almost surprised to hear a long, gutual scream as a dark, glue-like substance stained them. The thing took the ordeal for a couple of seconds and then rose up,like a wild animal, knocking the swordsman back with a force so great he flew backwards a couple of steps. As the light reflected in Zoro's blade fell on whatever they were fighting, it illuminated a flat surface among the lumps and tentacles writhing about.

A flat surface that almost resembled a human face.

A face that found itself on the receiving end of Luffy's fist a moment later.

This time, the cry almost made him fall to his knees. It reverberated in the night like a siren, making his vision blur and his eyes water. Luffy let out a scream and covered his ears as his fingers wrapped around the creature and sank into it as if trying to make it stop but the unearthly sound only intensified. It rose and fell like some unholy canticle, drowning out everything else until suddenly, the creature tore itself from Luffy's death grip and slid back deeper into the town, melting into the darkness.

Zoro was the first to snap out of his daze. He let out a long, complicated curse and ran forward but his blades only met empty air this time. He growled something inaudible, sheathed his swords in frustration and turned around to meet the astonished faces of the crew.

"Can anyone explain to me what the fuck was that?"

Luffy shrugged while furiously cleaning his ears as if trying to dig out the rests of the horrible sound from inside them. Behind him, Usopp was still wildly aiming at random spots in the dark, still expecting the creature to slither from anywhere around them for its second round. Robin had her arms around Chopper who was shaking like a leaf while Nami retreated towards the big pillars surrounding the square, still holding the little girl who was now effectively trying to merge with her.

"Is everyone okay?" Sanji had finally found his voice again. The strange chill from the creature still lingered on his skin, like he had just stepped out of a walk-in freezer. The half-hearted confirmations and nods around him made him feel a bit more relieved as he made his way towards the little kid in Nami's arms.

"Hey, I couldn't hear you back there." He tried to make his voice sound friendly but he was pretty sure that right now it was falling on deaf ears. "Are you all right? Did it hurt… you…?

He could hear his own voice trailing off as his eyes caught a glimpse of the hand the creature had wrapped itself around for less than a second before he pulled her away. The girl was staring at him like she had never seen a blond person before, tears glistening in her eyes as she clutched her wrist like she was trying to twist it off. Nami, who had noticed his sudden confusion, stood up and tried to gently push the girl into the brightest spot of the square so she could see it for herself but as her fingers came in contact with the girl's hand she suddenly gasped and jerked her hand away like she had been burned.

"What the…" Sanji could hear her voice breaking a little. "What the hell..?"

The girl's hand, from the wrist to the delicate fingers, now consisted entirely of cold white marble


	2. The gathering clouds

Roronoa Zoro was not a complicated man.

There were many things he didn't understand and he would usually be the first person to admit that. His brain divided the world into two neat groups: things that had a simple explanation and things that didn't, and therefore weren't worthy of further examination. However, as he stared at the darkness ahead, trying in vain to figure out what he had just been fighting and where it could have possibly gone to, he couldn't help but feel bewildered and very confused at the same time. Normally, he would have solved this dilemma by chasing after the creature but Nami's frightened gasp had caught his attention. As he turned around, ready to face a, hopefully, less confusing foe, he found himself staring at the little girl's marble hand.

He blinked, allowing his eyes to adjust to the faint light. He looked closer, then blinked again.

"Is that…?"

His question got cut short by another scream and a quick patter of feet.

A short, wiry woman with braided black hair materialized from the darkness, ran towards the group and practically tore the little girl from Nami's arms. Her face, delighted and relieved for a few seconds quickly turned to a mask of pure horror as she noticed the cold stone hand the girl was still clutching. The woman choked back a sob, then picked up the child and turned towards Luffy and the others.

"Is he gone?" Her voice was thick with tears but steady. "Is he coming back?"

A dozen doors slowly creaked open in the night. It seemed like the entire village was holding its breath, waiting for the answer. Zoro wasn't sure what to tell them so he let Luffy's enthusiastic voice settle their doubts for him.

"Don't worry, it's definitely gone!"

That seemed to be the magic word. People poured onto the square as if some invisible force had been holding them back all this time. They gathered around the black-haired woman who was kneeling on the cobblestones whispering comforting words to the child in her arms, almost oblivious to the excited voices filling the quiet night air.

"Did you see that?"

"I know! They actually hurt it! They made it scream and everything!"

"I didn't think it could feel pain."

"Maybe that'll keep it away for a while."

The excited chatter grew louder and louder. Zoro could see some of the people hovering curiously over the little girl and the woman. The cook was of course the first person to step in from of them and scream at the villagers to give the girl and her mother some air while standing too close to them himself. Zoro could have chuckled at his overblown protectiveness but his eyes drifted towards the white statues, now much more visible in the faint glow of the villager's torches. Their unseeing eyes now presented themselves in a much different light. Now, they looked almost menacing.

He couldn't take the uncertainty any more.

"What _was_ that?"

Again, it was Luffy who voiced his question for him. The chatter died down as if led by an invisible conductor. Suddenly, everyone was way too busy inspecting the ground to answer until the crowd parted like an unruly, shuffling sea and a tall bearded man stepped through. He knelt in front of the black-haired woman and whispered something in her ear. The pain and fear in her eyes seemed to instantly vanish as she picked up her child, bowed deeply to Nami and Luffy and ran away.

The newcomer rose from the cobblestones to look Luffy straight in the eye.

"Come with me and I'll tell you." He looked at the rest of the crew who had though it appropriate to gather behind Zoro just in case. "All of you."

* * *

Their unexpected host's house turned out to be the biggest one in the village. The crew walked inside, somewhat reticently as the eyes of the crowd never left them until a giant oak door slammed behind their backs. Zoro noticed that the lamps in the ample living room were all lit and had been for quite some time. In fact, the whole house was illuminated, like someone had just lost something precious in the middle of the night and would not go to bed until he had inspected every crack and crevice of the house. The black-haired woman was sitting on the steps of a large staircase, tracing her fingers over her daughter's wrist in quiet disbelief. As she noticed them, she quickly stood up, bowed profusely and slipped away.

"Why is she so afraid of us?" Luffy asked the bearded man, who just looked at him with sad eyes.

"I don't think it's you she's so afraid of."

"Damn straight!" Usopp shook his head, his voice finally acquiring that boastful ring they were so used to. "If it weren't for us, her little girl would be in big trouble right now! She should be thanking us instead of running away!"

"Even though all you did was hang in the background." The cook lit up a cigarette absentmindedly as his gaze traveled over the lit lamps like Zoro's had only a moment ago. "Were you expecting this to hap…?

"Shut up! I was just waiting for the perfect moment to leap into action! If I had hit it with my best shot, it would have gone down like that beast with seven heads and eleven tongues I defeated when I was only fiv…!"

Nami's fist collided with his head and sent him flying back towards the oak door. Her face contorted in pure annoyance for a second but as she addressed their host, her voice sounded grave again.

"You said you would tell us what just happened."

Their host nodded and walked towards a giant table in a silent invitation to the rest of the crew to follow him.

"You still haven't told us your name, either."

"It's Solomon Winter. I've been the mayor of Stillwater Island for almost thirty years now."

"Huh?" Luffy's eyes widened. "They let you be in charge for that long?"

Solomon chuckled slightly.

"Nobody else seems to want the job."

"That little girl…" Chopper spoke up for the first time since they abandoned the square. "What happened to her? Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know. Nothing like this has ever happened before."

"She ran away, didn't she?" Sanji blew out the smoke of his cigarette very slowly and Zoro could see his blue eyes darting around, gliding over the open doors of every cupboard and chest in the room. "You noticed she was missing, turned the place upside down and then realized she had gone outside."

Solomon shook his head and ran his fingers over his grey beard.

"That's Kara, the youngest daughter of one of my maids. She has a tendency to sleepwalk. We try to keep an eye on her but tonight…" He walked towards a big window, turning his back to the Straw Hats. The lights of the village were slowly dying down again but some of them remained lit, like unblinking eyes spying on them. "Let's just say, we had a lot on our minds."

Zoro's eyes narrowed.

"You _were_ expecting it, weren't you? What was that? When I stabbed it, it felt cold as death." In fact, the goosebumps had not ceased and even here, in a warm environment he was still shivering a bit. "And what's the deal with that face? It looked like something from hell itself."

"You're probably right."

"WHAT?"

Luffy's astonished exclamation was now echoed by the whole crew. Solomon exhaled deeply as if preparing himself for a particularly unpleasant ordeal. Then, in the deafening silence that fell, he began to talk.

"As you can see, Stillwater Island is not particularly big or in a strategic location. We live simple lives, we value hard work and we keep to ourselves. It's hard to find a person here who doesn't know everyone by name. We're like a big, messy, somewhat dysfunctional family."

Zoro grinned to himself. He knew the feeling all too well.

"But every now and then, we get one of those kids, someone who's smarter than everyone else, who feels restless on this island and longs to see bigger and better places. Aron Fellman was exactly like that. The kid had a fire in his eyes that Stillwater could not contain, so when he decided to join the marines, we all cheered him on. I don't know what happened to him after he got on that ship and frankly, I'm not sure I want to know. The only thing I'm sure of is that when he came back, almost fifteen years later, he wasn't the same person."

"Fifteen years is a long time." Robin spoke, her voice soft. "Especially if he left you when he was still young."

Solomon shrugged.

"Maybe…I was surprised he had decided to come back at all. Most of the people who leave, rarely return to Stillwater. We receive the occasional letter or gift but mostly, no one ever bothers to come back. But Aron did. What's more, he came back with a project."

Zoro could hear a slight bitterness in Solomon's voice as he uttered that last word.

"During his time with the marines he had managed to accumulate a small fortune. He could have stayed on the mainland, live comfortably and never have a care in the world but he decided to return to us and give back to the community that raised him. He took charge of the local orphanage, became their medic and started using his contacts to place those kids with good families on the mainland. Most of us treated him like a godsend. We're a remote island, our resources are limited and these kids would be better off with families that could give them a future. That is, until one of them came back."

Solomon's voice shook a little.

"A ten year old kid who Aron had arranged to be adopted by a rich family on the mainland managed to escape and find his way back to Stillwater. He had stolen a boat but a storm had caught up with him when he was nearing his destination. He was almost dead when he washed up ashore but as he got better, the story he told froze us all to the core. He had been sent to some laboratory, deep in the sector controlled by the marines. They kept him in a cell, caged like an animal. They experimented on him with everything imaginable. His whole body was covered in needle marks, burns, you name it. Took us almost a month to get the whole story out of him, he was so traumatized he could barely talk about it. When we tried to track down the other kids Aron had sent away, our worst fears were confirmed. Most of them had never reached their adopted families, if these ever existed in the first place. We turned heaven and earth upside down, trying to get them back but our efforts were either obstructed or… we were too late to save them."

In the silence that fell, Zoro could feel his fingers slowly curling around Kitetsu.

"Aron was arrested of the spot. I remember people were expecting him to deny it, or plot some desperate ruse but he never did. He admitted that the kids he sent away were used as test subjects for new weapons that the marines were planning to use against pirates. Most of us still couldn't believe that he would betray us like that... but you should have seen his eyes when he confessed. There was something there... something no longer human."

"So you executed him." Robin's voice was grave. A shadow crossed her usually calm and collected face. "It's a common punishment for traitors if memory serves me right."

"You might call it an execution, yes." Solomon's eyes were looking through the window again, at something beyond the ocean's dark horizon. "When people finally realized that Aron was behind all this, they were beside themselves with rage. The whole island was ready to tear him to pieces even before the trial had started. And then... somebody dug up a law."

He spat the last word as it was poison.

"The laws we abide by were written almost three hundred years ago. One of them was devised specifically for cases of treason. There's an islet near Stillwater, barely eighty meter across. It's completely barren and stands too tall even for fishing. Traitors were supposed to be marooned there... and left to die."

Robin lowered her head, hiding her expression from their host. Zoro could feel a murmur sweep over the room as Chopper, Usopp and Nami exchanged terrified glances. From the corner of his eye, Zoro could see their captain's gaze fixed on the slowly greying horizon, oblivious to the reactions of his crew. His unreadable expression almost puzzled him but the thought quickly abandoned his mind as his eyes settled on the ship's cook.

Sanji had gone completely livid. His blue eyes wide and unblinking were staring at their host like he had just turned into some unholy abomination. It took Zoro a couple of seconds to realize that what he was looking at was not horror or even fear but white hot fury.

"This thing appeared the following year, on the day we abandoned him on that blasted rock. People started seeing a person in doctor's clothes that looked like Aron. We didn't want to believe it at first until…" Solomon waved his arm towards the statues barely visible in dawn's pale light. "…until we had to believe. I don't know how to explain it but Aron Fellman has come back from hell itself as a worse monster than when he was alive. He comes back every year and roams the streets with that cry that turns your brain inside out. Anyone who touches him turns to stone and he won't stop until he has turned at least one person. The only one to escape that fate so far is little Kara. And even she…"

The man paused and shook his head.

"Even she may not be entirely safe." Zoro finished for him still not taking his eyes off Sanji. Something twisted in his gut as he noticed that the cook was trying very, very hard not to kick their host across the room. The sight almost didn't seem right. He was used to seeing him angry, even furious. Hell, sometimes he had seen him so enraged that the very air around him seemed to spontaneously combust. But this time, he was staring at completely new territory.

This could get very ugly very soon.

"How long has this been going on?" he heard himself asking.

"Almost thirty years."

"And all these statues we've seen are…?"

"Former residents, yes." Solomon sighed as he turned away from the window. "We keep them on the streets as a reminder to fight back, no matter how many friends and loved ones Aron takes away from us. Frankly, I'm not sure if we can do that. But maybe you can."

"Huh?" Luffy looked at him surprised. "What do you mean?"

Solomon's face twisted. Zoro could see that the man was not used to asking favors, much less begging for help. But the desperate plea was written all over his face even before the words left his lips.

"In almost thirty years, we have tried everything. We exorcised his spirit, he came back. We tried fighting him, our defenders turned to stone. You're the only ones who have managed to fight him off, you even saved little Kara! If there's anyone who can help us, it's you!"

"Have you tried talking to him?"

Sanji sounded dangerously calm. Only a slight tremor in his voice gave away the blinding fury Zoro could see bubbling over in his eyes.

"What is there to talk about with a shadow of a person?" Maybe Solomon had noticed something as well because he was talking to Luffy now. "Aron Fellman has tormented Stillwater long enough. Whatever we've done to deserve this curse…"

"You have explained what you've done quite clearly."

This time, the words could have cut steel. Zoro had had enough. Whatever the cook's problem was, he had crossed a line in his book. He stepped towards him, gritting his teeth.

"What are you talking about, shitty cook? Were you asleep for the last ten minutes or something? The guy was a mons…"

"Keep talking, moss-head and I'll raise your voice a couple of octaves." Sanji's pale face twitched as the mask of impassivity slipped off revealing the true anger underneath. "I don't give a shit what you think! These people…"

"Deserve to live free of their past." Solomon looked at Sanji, his eyes as hard and cold as the eyes of the statues. "Believe me, I wish I had stopped them. Back then, I wasn't the mayor but I was still in a position of power. You have to understand, I knew some of the kids in that orphanage. My children had them over for birthday parties, they were like our own! When I learned of what happened to them, I forgot myself. I let my personal feelings get in the way of justice and let my people damn themselves for the rest of their lives. They do not deserve to be punished any further for a law no one ever intended to enforce."

"Then you should have taken it off the books!" Sanji stepped towards Solomon and this time Zoro was sure that he was going to kick him through the wall. He instinctively moved forward and positioned himself between the cook and their host.

"There hasn't been a day I didn't regret that decision."

"That's not true. You just regret the consequences."

The swordsman felt his blood boil. The fingers of his right hand were gathering into a strong fist at an alarming speed.

"Are you deaf or just retarded? Those were children! Do you have any sense of…?"

"That's enough!" Nami's glare paralyzed Sanji on the spot, his next words frozen on his lips. "The last thing we need right now is you guys starting another fight!"

"What?" Zoro turned to her, fuming. "I'm not the one who's acting like a jerk…"

But Nami wasn't listening to him anymore. Her eyes were directed towards their captain who had stayed silent through the whole conversation. Luffy's expression was stern; his dark eyes rested on Solomon's face for a second, went to Sanji and Zoro and then back to their host. Whatever thoughts were turning in his head didn't make it to the surface but when he spoke, his voice carried the gravity of a made-up mind.

"You can count on us."

Zoro released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Across the room, he could see the cook's shoulders slump slightly, his expression hidden under a mess of blond hair. Their host sighed imperceptibly and smiled for the first time since they met him.

"Thank you. Stillwater will not forget your help."


	3. The rolling thunder

Sanji lit up another cigarette.

The night or rather what was left of it was warm and quiet around him, almost as if the attack had been a bad dream. From the second floor of Solomon's house, where they had been offered to stay, the village looked peaceful again though some of the windows remained lit and movement could still be seen on the streets as the villagers hurried to spread the news of the island getting help from the Straw Hat pirates. Some of the braver teenage residents had gathered at the square where the fight had taken place to examine the black goo on the cobblestones with unhindered curiosity and a long pointy stick.

Sanji paid them no attention. His gaze travelled towards the beach where the waves of the coming tide smoothed the sand like a blanket. Looking at the sea always calmed him down and helped him collect his thoughts but on that particular night the picture carried something eerily disturbing with it. He found himself unconsciously analyzing the horizon, searching for the nameless islet their host had described and when he found it, a tiny speck of darkness against the slowly approaching dawn, he felt his stomach sink and his hands get clammy.

He had been almost ashamed of his earlier outburst when they settled in their rooms. He remembered the swordsman glaring daggers at him when he had confronted Solomon and had briefly considered taking his chances against Zoro anyway but Nami's anger had the power of stopping him in his tracks that no power in the universe could match. He still kicked himself for making her raise her voice at him and had even spent a good half an hour planning out an apology to the crew and his captain in the morning and a separate one for Nami and Robin accompanied by a quickly whipped up dessert. However, as he closed his eyes, an old nightmare he thought gone forever revisited him for the first time in years.

It wasn't one of those nightmares that had people scream their lungs out or bolt up in cold sweat. At least he didn't think so. It didn't involve monsters with razor-sharp claws, rotting corpses gnawing at his bones or even his teeth falling out. All it involved was a small island in the middle of nowhere, sun strong enough to boil your brain out of your skull, no food or fresh water in sight and no sounds except the wind in his hair and the waves crashing against the jagged rocks below. Instead of the usual terror that came with regular nightmares, this one filled him with despair so deep and hollow that when his eyes snapped open, the need to get out of bed was so desperate he had almost stepped onto the terrace in nothing but his underwear. The faraway sound of the sea now made his skin crawl and so did the sudden realization that he might be looking at the same landscape as the late Aron Fellman.

The apology resurfaced in his mind, wobbled on the surface for a while, then sank like a stone.

The sound of footsteps behind his back snatched him out of this musings. He sighed, blowing out the smoke of his cigarette, stubbed it against his lighter and straightened up without turning around.

"Took you long enough, moss-for-brains. Come to finish what we started?"

His voice came out unexpectedly raspy but he suppressed the need to cough to clear his throat. The last thing he needed was the swordsman thinking he had some kind of advantage over him.

Zoro froze in his tracks, paused for second, then spoke again with an audible growl.

"How the hell did you know…?

"… it was you? Your swords clatter against one another when you walk. You should work on that, it detracts from your stealth. Besides, you wouldn't have brought them here if you didn't intend to continue our little chat." Sanji turned to find the swordsman staring at him intently. "But if you want to fight, we should find some place better. You don't want to tear down the house of the man who so kindly offered us his hospitality."

Sarcasm laced every one of his last words. Zoro's eyes darkened as he stepped forward, his right hand sliding towards the swords on this belt. His expression had gone from annoyed to furious.

"Goddamn it, shitty cook! I'm not here to fight with you!"

"Your hands beg to differ."

"What?" Zoro looked down at the hand grasping Kitetsu's sheath, let out an annoyed grunt and unclasped the katanas from his belt placing them carefully against the doorframe. "We just got attacked, in case you forgot. I'll carry them everywhere from now on until that thing is gone." He looked back at Sanji, his face contorted in anger again. "Fuck you, what am I giving you explanations for? Last time I checked I wasn't the one to start fights around here!"

Sanji closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. For a man not looking for a confrontation, Zoro was approaching one at lightning speed.

"That was none of your business…"

The punch swooshed through the empty space next to his ear. Sanji shifted his weight, swaying slightly to the left, only narrowly avoiding the hit. His stomach knotted at the realization that the swordsman was serious. That attack could have knocked him out had it actually connected with his head and the thought that there could be another one didn't help his mood. They might end up trashing the place after all if Zoro kept this up, with or without katanas.

Zoro, however, kept his position, panting in anger.

"It is my business if it affects the crew, you asshole! If I hadn't stopped your sorry ass back there, we would have ended up in jail or worse!"

Sanji shrugged his shoulders and slid another cigarette from his pack. He drew in a long breath and let the nicotine serene his thoughts once again.

"I wasn't going to attack Solomon, if that's what you're worrying about. You think I would deliberately place Nami and Robin in danger?"

A smirk passed Zoro's lips at the mention of the navigator and the archaeologist.

"Those two can take care of themselves better than most of us, love cook." His body tensed again, the brief relaxed moment vanishing without a trace. "And don't give me that bullshit now! You looked ready to kill that guy right then and there!" What has gotten into you all of a sudden? Since when do you defend child murderers?"

"When the hell did I do that?" Sanji snapped. His left leg instinctively bent at the knee, ready to deflect an attack that never came. "Did you hear me defend anything of what that man has done? His actions were despicable and he deserved to face justice! Did you hear me, moss-head?"

He stepped forward, his voice trembling with fury when he spoke again.

"I said justice, not a goddamn lynching! He deserved everything from life imprisonment to a bullet between the eyes but what these people did to him was cold blooded torture! Nobody deserves that kind of death, understand? Nobody!"

Zoro let out a short laugh. His expression was brimming with contempt as he stared him down again.

"What do you care anyway? I don't remember you showing the same concern for Arlong or Crocodile. This guy was just as big a monster as they were. Where was your compassion then, huh?"

"As far as I remember, we didn't engage in mindless cruelty, shithead! We can see how well that plan worked out for those poor bastards!" Sanji tilted his head towards the statues on the streets below them. "This curse or whatever it is, they brought it on themselves the moment they decided to hide behind a three-century-old law and…"

This time the attack reached its destination. The swordsman grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against a wall so hard, black spots danced in front of his eyes for a couple of seconds. Zoro's eyes were wide with understanding as he spit his next words in a mixture of disgust and disbelief.

"Screw you! You're bailing on us now? You're going to step aside and let us battle this thing on our own while you chill out in the background and fucking discuss ethics?" Zoro's fingers twisted around his collar so hard Sanji was sure he was trying to choke him. "I wish Luffy was here to see this, you bastard! If anything goes wrong, if anything happens to any of them, I swear to God, I'm going to find you and make you wish you were never born!"

Sanji felt every muscle in his body tense in anger. For a split second, the rage overpowered the pain as he raised his leg and kicked Zoro away so hard he almost went over the balcony.

"You think I would do that, seaweed-head? You really thought I was going to leave you hanging? I knew you were dumber than a rock but this is beyond ridiculous!" Sanji readjusted his shirt and stepped away from the wall to look Zoro straight in the eye. "I know who I owe my loyalty to, in case you forgot. It's you, each and every one of you! Luffy knows that! That's why he's resting and gathering his strength for what's coming instead of here, throwing punches around like a maniac."

Zoro stared at him wordlessly, as if struck by lightning. Sanji could see his fists slowly unclench and his arms relax but the mask of pure undiluted anger remained on his face for a couple of seconds before crumbling to bits and revealing something that almost resembled relief. Finally, he swore under his breath and looked away.

"Well, you'd better remember that, curly brow. If you ever make Luffy regret picking you, I'll be there to cut your heart out with a bamboo blade."

"If I ever do that, I'll hand you that blade."

Zoro let out a dismissive grunt and reclined against the railing turning away from the cook. Silence hung in the air for a while until Sanji walked towards him, a freshly lit cigarette hanging between his lips.

"So, if that's settled, Nami said we should all try and get some rest. You're useless to us half-asleep."

Zoro rolled his eyes and flicked a random pebble in his direction.

"Shut up, you're still on my shit-list. Besides, you hadn't flipped out back there I would be sleeping now instead of wasting my time with you."

Sanji caught the pebble between his fingers and flicked it back. The small round object bounced off the swordsman's eyebrow and fell into the green grass below.

"So this is my fault now? You sleep too much anyway. Forget I said anything, this is an improvement. Maybe you could train at night and get out of everyone's way once in a while"

"You want to start a fight again, dartbrow? Because I have no problem with…"

Sanji sighed.

"Nevermind, it's like talking to a wall."

"At least I'm not bipolar!" Zoro shot back, finally looking at him again. "What's your problem with Solomon anyway? You're acting like the guy killed your parents or something."

"He starved a man to death. Isn't that enough?"

The look that Zoro gave him was worth a thousand words. The green haired-man let out a small exclamation and stared at him in genuine astonishment.

"That's what this is all about? You got your panties in a bunch because he died of hunger? Nice moral compass there, idiot cook. Would you care half as much if they had flayed him and thrown him to the gulls?"

Sanji shook his head. For the first time this day, he felt tired, too tired to argue with Zoro any further. The events of the day were beginning to weigh on him and he regretted not ignoring the swordsman completely and at least trying to sleep through what was left of the night. He raised his eyes to find Zoro's still fixed on him, waiting for an answer.

"How… the hell am I supposed to know? Ask me when we reach another fucked up island where they flay their criminals!" He separated himself from the railing and faced off the green-haired man, his voice low and grave. "Do you know what it feels like to die of starvation, Zoro? It's the most accurate approximation to hell on earth anyone can ever feel. Your body eats you from the inside and there's no escape from that. You'll lie on the ground too weak to move while your own skins peels off your muscles and your bones break. And believe, me, death will take its sweet, sweet time to take you."

His voice grew thick for a second and he paused to catch his breath while the swordsman's eyes slowly studied his expression as if sensing something. The unexpected scrutiny made him feel strangely uncomfortable but he forced himself to hold the gaze of the grey eyes. Zoro stood still for a while, processing the information.

"You've done your homework?"

Sanji's lips curved into something between a smile and a grimace.

"Something like that, yes."

"Bastard probably deserved it, anyway."

Sanji shook his head. The cigarette on his lips was long forgotten and the wind was scattering its ashes all over the terrace now.

"I doubt anyone does."

Zoro chuckled.

"Your soft heart will ruin you, love cook."

"What did you say?" Sanji could feel his temper flare up again but it died down immediately as he stared into Zoro's calm eyes.

"You heard me. You get too emotional about stuff. That's going to be nothing but trouble for you in the long run. You should work on that, it detracts from your focus."

"From my…" Having his own words thrown back in his face turned his reply into an unstructured stutter. "What the hell do you mean by that, shitty swordsman? What are you, a statue?"

"No, but I learned to put my personal feelings aside when it comes to certain matters. Can you do that?

Sanji gritted his teeth, desperately searching for the right words but his exhausted mind drew a blank each and every time he tried. He looked at Zoro whose slight smile was growing wider with every second as if he was enjoying watching him squirm. The sight was quickly getting on his nerves.

"It doesn't detract from my focus!" He chose to spit back.

Zoro just kept smiling.

"Keep telling yourself that, love cook."

"It never got in the way of anything, you moron!" Sanji's attack was unexpected even to himself as his right leg described an arc in the air passing dangerously close to his opponent's shoulder. "Just because you have the emotional range of an eggplant doesn't mean all of us have to…!"

The rest of his words were drowned in a loud crash as his leg smashed through a crate Zoro had stood in front of just a second ago. The green-haired swordsman dodged his kick and was now looking at him with a mixture or surprise and amusement.

"Careful there, you were the one who didn't want to tear the place up, remember?" His voice turned pensive as he stared absentmindedly at the smashed wood. "I was serious, you know? Solomon also couldn't put his personal feelings aside. Look where that got him."

With those words, he turned around, picked up his swords and stepped inside the house leaving Sanji behind.


	4. Lightning strikes twice

"Are you sure about this?"

There was a certain uneasiness in Usopp's voice. Sanji tore his gaze away from the blood-red line of the horizon and turned towards the marksman.

"You mean about the plan? I hope _you_ are. It's yours after all. Well, yours and Robin's. Without her knowledge we would never have figured this out."

Usopp´s expression turned sour as he chewed on his lower lip and adjusted the slingshot mounted on his arm. His thoughts were so transparent that Sanji could almost read his mind. The fact that their resident archaeologist knew so much about ghost legends and demonic possessions had come as an unexpected surprise and it still bothered him a bit. There were just some things he would be better off not knowing about. It made life much simpler.

"I know...it's just... I feel really uncomfortable using that little girl as bait." Usopp slid guiltily back into the long shadows. "Aren't you?"

Sanji took a drag from his cigarette allowing himself a couple of seconds to think about his answer.

"I don't think we have much choice, really. Besides, we're not even sure he's going to show up here. We have the whole village keeping watch for a reason."

Usopp nodded enthusiastically, his eyes peering at the darkness ahead again.

"I just thought... Solomon said that thing always had to turn someone. It didn't manage to do that last night so it's bound to come back to finish the job."

Sanji felt himself shift in his seat uncomfortably. The marksman's words awoke a pang of guilt in him as well.

"I hate it for Kara but I really hope you're right. If he doesn't come here and strikes somewhere else, he could turn someone before we have time to get there and then we won't see him again for a whole year. I doubt Luffy will wait for that long."

"He made a promise. You can trust him to keep it."

"I know but even he has his limits. Remember the Baratie?"

Usopp rolled his eyes. In the faint light of the twilight, Sanji could see him smiling a little.

"Believe me, I wish I could forget. But it all worked out all right in the end, this is completely different. We've never fought ghosts before."

"Then consider this practice if we ever have to do it again." Sanji chuckled at the marksman disheartened expression. "Don't fret so much, we have this place covered. We got Zoro and Robin guarding the back of the house and Luffy and Chopper inside. And I can guarantee you; Nami will not let Kara out of her sight. Nothing's going to happen to her tonight."

Usopp let out a long sigh and looked at him with a glint of annoyance in his eyes.

"You don't have to reassure me, you know? It's _my_ plan! As long as we do our job and guard the front like we're supposed to, everything will be all right."

"You were the one who asked, remember?"

Usopp's shoulders sagged, his ego deflated in a matter of seconds. His fingers sank into a box of projectiles he kept under his feet and shuffled them around to fill the long stretch of silence that fell between them. When he spoke again, his voice acquired a playful, almost mocking tone.

"Yeah, anyway, someone has to be the brains of this operation. I ran into Zoro when I was setting out the traps around the house, he said you planned to talk this thing to death."

Sanji lowered his head and gritted his teeth making a mental note to kick the swordsman's ass later. Zoro had a special talent to twist his words or put just the right spin on them to make them sound stupid or naive. He let his mind wander to their conversation on the terrace and winced slightly and the memory of Zoro's condescending smile. He turned to Usopp for a bit of reassurance himself.

"It's not that far fetched, though, is it? Robin said these kind of ghosts are normally driven by powerful emotions and an unfulfilled need."

Usopp nodded as he picked up a round projectile from the box and weighed it in his hand.

"Yeah, in this case, revenge. I mean, this guy didn't exactly go in a painless..."

"Exactly, this means that it's at least capable of thought, right?"

The marksman paused for a second. He slid the projectile inside his belt and dragged his fingers around it quietly counting his ammunition.

"Maybe but is it logical thought? The way I see it, this thing is the ghost equivalent of a murderous psycho. I highly doubt you can reason with something like that."

Sanji sighed and shook his head as his reassurance slipped away from him. He twisted his ankles in the grass to release the tension from his joints and looked at the horizon again. The small islet that had become Aron Fellman's grave was less than a grain of sand against the darkening sky but after spotting it for the first time, Sanji could no longer ignore it.

He looked at the marksman with a grim expression.

"Yeah, you're right, it was a stupid idea. Besides, I don't think we're even the right people to talk to it."

"Ah, but you see." Usopp raised his index finger with an air of wisdom and smugness. "In my years as a great pirate captain I have come to learn that it's not the right people but the right words that can turn around the most desperate situation."

Sanji grinned.

"That's from one of Robin's books, you know? I flicked through it once, too. Something about war and art and all the things bloody and disturbing at least according to the few pages I saw."

Usopp's satisfied expression faltered only for a split second before he composed himself and let his smile spread even wider.

"So what? It still happens to apply exactly to my current..."

His next words were drowned in a loud piercing cry. Less than ten meters away from the front gate, a part of the night shifted and swayed growing more solid with every movement. The shapeless form the size of a small elephant remained still for a few seconds as if surveying its surroundings and slid towards the house as silent as a shadow. The flat surface where its face used to be now featured only two enormous lidless eyes.

The marksman's tanned face paled a little in the rapidly dying light.

"It's here."

"It is." Sanji stood up and stubbed his cigarette against a stone pillar. "Let's see if that book has taught us anything."

* * *

The first thing he noticed was the sudden temperature drop. As the creature crashed into the front gate tearing it off its hinges, a wave of cold air washed over the garden almost leaving them both breathless. Sanji could hear the damp grass crackling under his feet as a thin ice sheet spread over it and frowned. This time, the spirit wasn't even bothering with taking a human form. No point in hiding around and blending with shadows anymore. He knew they were here.

And he was angry.

Usopp's first trap snapped.

A huge wide net tied expertly over the garden trees dropped from the branches over the creature that almost didn't seem to notice it until four heavy weights at the ends sank into the soft turf trapping it. Sanji could hear Usopp's triumphant yell as he slid a round projectile into his slingshot and fired at the black mess under the ropes before it had the chance to reshape itself. A cloud of red smoke exploded over the net and a second later, the unmistakable smell of sulphur filled his nostrils.

Sanji looked at Usopp wide-eyed.

"You want to kill it with fire?"

Usopp's mad grin was all the confirmation he needed.

"Technically, it's already dead, isn't it? I need your lighter! That blasted cold wave ruined my ignition agent!"

Sanji shrugged.

"Can't argue with that logic. Get down!"

The lighter described a long and wide arc through the air. Sanji barely had time to dive behind a stone pillar before the space around the net erupted violently and a whirling column of fire shot into the night sky igniting the tree tops in its path. Below it, the creature shrieked and thrashed against the ropes trying to escape the flames licking it. Another round projectile smashed against one of its sides and the patches of grass around the beast sizzled and melted. An acid star made it stagger backwards.

The net creaked.

"Will it hold?" Sanji could hear himself screaming over the roaring fire.

Usopp nodded not even looking at him. His eyes were fixed on the blazing inferno as he loaded up another projectile.

"Relax, the rope is treated! It will resist everything I throw at it. Besides, it just needs to hold long enough until..."

The net creaked again, tensed for a moment and flew up like a discarded rag as the creature tore the weights from the turf and charged towards the house. For a terrifying second Sanji was sure it would attack them while still on fire. He sprinted away from the stone pillar dragging a stunned marksman with him and felt somewhat relieved when the flames on the creature started dying down as the last of Usopp´s sulphur consumed itself in weak bursts of flames.

A new draft of freezing air almost made them both skid on the grass. Sanji's heart sank at the sight of dozens tentacles springing from the spirit's black core and shooting towards the front door. If it got inside, things could only go from bad to worse.

"Hey, you! Over here!"

The words left his lips half a second before he realized he had screamed them. Less than a meter away from the front door, the monster stopped dead in its tracks and turned to face them slowly, almost as if it was noticing them for the first time. Another acid star swished past his right ear, smashed against the creature and released its deadly contents all over the tentacles. The monster roared, swayed from side to side and rushed towards them.

It couldn't be helped. They would have to try a more direct approach.

Letting go of Usopp's arm he soared up and slammed his left leg between the creature's eyes.

And felt his mouth fall open in shock as it went right through the monster like a hammer through thick black fog.

* * *

Zoro couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong.

Technically, everything had gone according to plan. They had been pretty sure that the monster would come back for Kara and the ear splitting cry he heard not a minute ago seemed to confirm that. However, as he and Robin raced through the garden towards the front part of the house, there was something, a tiny part of his brain he was pretty sure dealt in precognition that was telling him to be on his guard. Sanji and Usopp were supposed to get the monster away from the house if it attacked from their side and do everything in their power to take the fight to the beach. As far as he could tell, the noise of the struggle was getting closer and closer to the mansion.

Stupid cook couldn't do anything right. It was always up to him to step up and set things straight.

He rushed into the grey ashen circle the fire had created, brandishing his swords.

"What are you still doing here? You were supposed to drive it awa..."

He stopped as he saw Sanji's kick go straight through the creature.

"What the...?"

The cook turned around at the sound of his voice. He bore a frantic, wild expression that lingered on his face for less than a second before he dropped to a handstand and flung a new attack at the writhing abomination only to miss again. As the long wiry legs spun through nothing but mist Zoro could feel his brain unraveling. He didn't remember the creature having that kind of power before. The kick should have dropped it, hell, with that sort of force, it should have probably liquified its insides. If they were fighting an incorporeal being now, all their strategy and careful planning had been for nothing.

Well, there was only one way to find out.

He charged forward whirling his blades in the air.

This time, they definitely connected with something solid. Zoro sucked in a sharp breath as the cold emanating from the monster hit him like a wall of ice. He felt his muscles go numb and his shoulders drop as he staggered back, dazed and confused. The air suddenly grew thin as darkness approached him much too fast for his liking. He tried to jump aside to gain enough terrain for his second attack but every movement now felt slow and clumsy. He felt Robin's arms on him dragging him away while more of them sprang from the ground and trees trying unsuccessfully to pin the spirit to the ground. She was talking to him, probably even screaming but her words sounded like a garbled mess in his ears. As he felt his strength returning again, a shock of blond hair flashed at the corner of his eye.

Sanji shot past him like a long black arrow and delivered a kick that split the tree behind the creature in half but dealt absolutely no harm. For a moment, Zoro had time to see his blue eyes widen in rage as he was getting ready to repeat his attack only to be brutally shoved aside by Zoro himself. Wadou sank into the exact same spot the cook's attack had been aimed towards and the creature roared in agony but did not retreat. Robin's arms, however, were not giving up as the archaeologist managed to hold their opponent in place and prevented in from sliding closer to the mansion.

Zoro panted and glared at the man next to him.

"What the hell is going on?" He stabbed the black mass looming over them and cursed as sharp pain shot through his arm, numbing it to the bone.

"That's what I would like to know!" Sanji swerved to avoid a long black tentacle threatening to coil around his throat and stepped back. His voice sounded almost desperate. "He... he did something to me! My attacks won't work against him!"

His right foot nudged a large block of a shattered stone pillar, hurled it in the air and launched it against the spirit only to for it to get embedded several centimeters in the wall behind him with no effect. Sanji swore and frantically searched around for a different weapon but a hand on his shoulder made him stop. Robin, who had practically materialized at his side, gave him a significant look and turned away from him. The gun in her hand fired three times. One of the bullets ricocheted against a metal plaque and caught the creature in one of its lidless eyes. Its cry shattered the windows on the second floor but Sanji could still feel it moving forward. The earth under his feet now felt frozen hard.

He grabbed Robin's hand still on his shoulder and stepped in front of her in a futile attempt to shield her from a new gust of cold wind flowing away from the monster. Behind him, the archeologist allowed herself a small exasperated smile.

"How is it doing that?" the cook's teeth were chattering a bit as his bangs turned to tiny blond icicles. "It's just some random emotions held together! How is it blocking me? Why me and not...?"

Zoro could see the blue eyes fixed upon him as he dodged another attack and plunged his blades into what he hoped was the creature's weak spot. Robin's frown slowly dissolved as her face became serene once again or as serene as it could be after stepping on a tentacle and shooting it. She grabbed Sanji's shoulders and made him face her. The unresisting cook's almost grinned at the welcome touch before the adoration vanished from his eyes and they widened in shock at Robin's expression. The archaeologist's lips moved. From his position, Zoro could tell that she had just asked a question but the exact words didn't reach him. Sanji's short nod through gritted teeth gave him a very bad feeling.

"What?" Zoro screamed over the screeching of the monster. "Talk to me, you two! What is it?"

Robin turned around and fired again. The bullet took out the creature's other eye.

"This spirit draws its power from feelings and thoughts. So far, it's been reacting to fear and anger." She took a step forward, away from Sanji who looked lost, arms dangling helplessly at his sides. She turned her head in the cook's direction and Zoro could see his fingers curl into fists waiting for her next words. "This is how it reacts to compassion."

The creature broke Robin's hold.

The archaeologist went white as a sheet and let out a soft gasp as the monster lunged forward breaking her bones. Behind him Zoro could hear Sanji curse every God and minor devil he could remember as more fragments of the pillar flew through the air and through the monster. He grunted and tried to regain his balance but another icy breath paralyzed him in his tracks. Long black streams poured from the creature and slid under the front door.

"Shit!" The cook rushed towards the door, kicking up frozen grass in this trail. "Usopp, get over here and help us! It's going to get insid...!

They both saw it at the same time. Their marksman was still hiding behind the only pillar left unshattered, still grasping the slingshot and a projectile. His face seemed to be paralyzed in a mute scream of horror and pain and his body was twisted in a weird position that suggested he was either about to take aim or turn around and run away. The only reason he was still standing upright was because his whole form was now encased in shining black marble like a newly carved statue.

"No..." Zoro didn't hear the words but he could read them on the cook's white lips. "No... shit... please not... GODDAMNIT!"

The sheer rage in his scream seemed to finally shake Robin from her daze. She pulled herself up, let out a painful cough and looked at Sanji who was still staring at Usopp. As she called his name he turned around almost mechanically.

Robin ran up the steps shooting the creature that was rapidly dissolving into streams across the wooden floor of the porch.

"Get Nami and Kara out of here! We'll try to contain it for as long as we can!"

The cook finally managed to look away form Usopp's statue. His eyes locked onto Zoro's almost involuntarily. Remorse, shame and impotence mixed in his pale features as the swordsman held his gaze. For a second he could see him hesitate.

Robin shook her head as if anticipating the reply.

"We'll be fine, we've still got Luffy and Chopper inside. Kara is the priority here, if this thing gets to her, it's over. Go!"

Sanji mouthed a curse, as he closed his eyes and looked away. His teeth sank into his lower lip so hard a thin line of blood trickled down his chin. His voice however, sounded steady and focused again.

"I'm sorry. We'll meet back at the beach."


	5. Let the rain fall

Sanji ran.

The cries of his companions and the noise of the battle still rang in his ears as he left them behind and sprinted deeper into the village with Nami hot on his heels. The little girl in the navigator's arms had her eyes shut and was frantically trying to cover her ears as well. The spirit's cry split the darkness to pieces. Windows all through the village slammed as they passed and lights were hurriedly extinguished. The night itself seemed to be rejecting their presence as it closed around them, cold, damp and pitch black.

Bitter tears stung his eyes when he sped up, trying to suppress the overwhelming rage and helplessness tearing at his core. Zoro's words on the terrace now burned like a thousand flames as Usopp's silent scream frozen in marble swam in front of his mind's eye again. A sense of crushing defeat rose up in him threatening to drown the last bit of his rationality and was quickly pushed down again as he forced himself to focus. Kara was still with them, clinging desperately to Nami less than three steps behind him. The thought ignited a flame that consumed every doubt in his head. Keeping them safe, getting them away from the fight was all that mattered now. Self-doubt and the searing guilt could wait for later.

_Your soft heart will ruin you, love cook._

Damn straight.

In the ever growing darkness, he could feel Nami's fingers brush against his wrist as if searching for support. The unexpected touch almost froze him in his tracks but his legs kept propelling him forward. In a strange compulsion that surprised even himself his own fingers grabbed hers like a lifeline and squeezed them tight. Nami was counting on him to be strong. He would be dead a thousand times before allowing himself to disappoint her.

"Where are we going?" The navigator's voice sounded embarrassed as she caught up to him and slid her hand from his grasp. "I can't see anything in this darkness! What happened back there?"

Sanji felt his heart sink a bit. He instinctively reached for the redhead's hand again but stopped himself halfway through.

"The spirit broke our first line of defense. Kara's not safe in that place anymore." He surveyed the dark streets wishing he had Chopper's night vision. "We have to get her somewhere where he can't find her."

Behind him Nami cursed as she tripped on a stone. Their shoulders bumped for a second before she regained her balance and pulled the little girl closer.

"That's going to be impossible! He lived here, he must know the village like the back of his hand."

"Merry isn't part of the village. You can both hide there. Then I can go back and..."

His words died in his throat as he found himself floundering. Go back and do what exactly? Watch all his kicks fail miserably to do any damage? Stand in the way of his companions like a useless tool? A tiny voice in his head dripping with malicious sarcasm that sounded surprisingly like Zoro mocked him for his insecurity until determination and anger overruled it. Giving up was not an option, it had never been an option. His friends were fighting a losing battle and they needed him. There was no way in hell he was going to let them down, with or without kicks.

He felt his feet treading on round cobblestones and realized they had reached the village square. Some of the streetlamps forgotten by the fleeing villagers still remained unextinguished spilling the light in irregular patches around them. He stopped, trying to make out the way towards their ship's docking place as Nami gently lowered the girl on the ground. The stone eyes of the statues observed them in silent judgment and expectation.

Sanji looked back towards Solomon's house where the lights had gone out. The dark shape of the mansion now almost merged with the night and as the adrenaline rush from the run left his body he noticed that the noise of the battle had died down and an eerie silence had fallen over the village. At the back of his neck, his hair stood on end.

This was not good. This was not good at all.

The cold hit him like an avalanche, sudden and merciless. It came from every direction numbing his limbs and freezing the marrow in his bones. Darkness clouded his eyes for a second as he tried to turn his head searching desperately for the navigator and Kara only to find them backing away from a tall dark shadow in frayed doctor's clothes. The figure took a step towards them and stretched a long sinewy arm in their direction. Sanji ignored his muscles screaming in protest as the tore himself from the spot and leapt between the spirit and his prey.

A strong gust of freezing wind knocked him back a couple of steps.

In its human form, Aron Fellman´s ghost was almost as tall as him. The big lidless eyes had disappeared to be replaced by something that looked mostly human. A gaunt, pale face crisscrossed by scars and lips cracked from the sun grinned madly at him baring long yellow teeth. Its eyes, now a faded blue, seemed to stare right through him. A skeletal hand reached for Kara again and Sanji noticed the torn fingernails and the bare bones peeking from under worn knuckles. As he stepped forward and spread his arms in a futile attempt to protect the girl in the navigator's arms he heard the spirit's voice. Faint whispers fluttered around in his head, dry and coarse like the sound of fallen leaves in autumn.

"Step aside. I need... need her. Need her..."

Sanji felt the cold eat at his brain, freezing his very thoughts. The voice came in waves, rising and falling in the wind and with it, came a sense of pure and utter despair. Memories of emptiness, thirst and hunger resurfaced from some hidden depths in his subconscious as he commanded his feet to move forward and fought for control. Robin's words flashed in his mind like a lightning bolt, grounding him in reality again. If the spirit indeed ran on feelings and thoughts, the last thing he wanted was let it turn his own mind against him.

"Aron Fellman!" He could hardly hear his own voice over the wind howling in his ears. The spirit's hand stopped in mid-air at the sound of its name and Sanji almost let out a sigh of relief as he continued. "I know what happened to you and I understand your anger but this girl..." he looked back at Kara who was staring at the creature with a rictus of pure terror imprinted upon her little face. "Look at her, she's only six years old! She wasn't even alive when it happened! She can't be held responsible for…"

The spirit screamed.

It was a scream that could shatter minds. Sanji felt a stabbing pain in his temples and collapsed to his knees as the world blew to smithereens around him. The ground reeled and swam before his eyes and a second later, a sharp metallic taste filled his mouth. Through a red cloud of agony, he saw the dark specter glide closer, cobblestones vibrating and cracking in his trail. Running on some sort of autopilot, he shot up and kicked blindly but the devastating blow met only with empty air. Pure momentum kept him on his feet as he staggered forward and found himself staring directly into Aron Fellman´s dead eyes.

"Leave…them…alone."

He was sure he had said something along those lines, though the sound didn´t even reach his own ears. The spirit´s stare remained fixed on him, almost as if he was considering his plea. The cracked lips moved. Words weaved themselves into the deafening cry but the sheer force of it seemed to be tearing them apart. Feeling his knees ready to give out, Sanji took a tentative step forward trying to tune out the scream.

Aron Fellman's face twisted into a grimace of triumph. Sanji had time for one last desperate attack before the spirit dissolved in a dark mist and passed through his body carrying with it cold so intense, it seemed to freeze the breath in his lungs. The hellish howl reverberated inside his skull as he clutched his head praying for it to stop.

It did.

For a couple of seconds, the world was a blur as shadows and bright spots danced in front of his eyes. He found himself in the middle of an empty square swaying where he stood and doing his best not to vomit. The few lamps around him had all gone dark except one that flickered dangerously behind a cracked glass pane. As his muscles slowly started to respond again he felt his heart skip several beats at once and spun around to check on Nami and Kara.

His hand brushed against something cold. The last lamp on the square buzzed, released a couple of stray sparks and stabilized again. The weak patch of light fell upon Nami's silhouette. Her statue of marble as dark as the night's sky was a striking contrast to Kara's snow white form that lay frozen in stone curled up against the navigator's chest.

Sanji felt his world dropping away from him. He raised his hands almost in a dreamlike state and clasped them around Nami's hunched shoulders, patting the cold stone as if not entirely believing his own eyes. His ears vaguely registered footsteps somewhere in the vicinity but he couldn't force himself to turn around or even look away. There was a part of him, a tiny logical part that was telling to calm down, pull himself together and think straight. It was telling him that not all was lost, that he should get back to Solomon's mansion and try to figure out what to do next. It was even drawing up a neatly ordered to-do list for later.

His emotional part ignored it all.

"SHIT!"

What was going to be a scream filled with rage turned into a choked sob as he slammed his fist on the cobblestones, his right arm still around Nami's statue. The footsteps sounded closer now and a few seconds later a Zoro-shaped shadow fell in front of him. The swordsman's voice sounded strangely hollow.

"You can say that again."

It was enough to make Sanji snap back to reality. He rose from the cobblestones and looked at Zoro with a sinking feeling.

"What the hell are you doing here? You were supposed to take the fight to the beach! Where are the others?"

Zoro's expression darkened. His eyes slowly went to rest on Nami's statue, then looked back at Sanji. The wordless explanation almost made his head reel.

"No..." His voice dropped to a whisper as he took a step back, colliding against the lamp. "No, they can't be... all of them... What about Luffy?"

Zoro shook his head. Sanji got the strange feeling that the swordsman was doing his best to control himself.

"That thing was smart, it went for the devil fruit users first. It got Robin before we managed to get to Luffy and Chopper. We nearly tore the house down trying to contain it but eventually it turned them too. I thought I was going to be next until that thing suddenly lost interest and fled. Maybe it finally realized Kara was not there anymore."

He looked at the little girl in Nami's arms again.

"I guess it's gone now. It got what it came for."

The creepy monotone was starting to get on Sanji's nerves. He stepped towards Zoro as the familiar rush of anger washed over him, reviving every muscle in his body.

"How can you be so calm!? That thing is still out there! We have to find it while we still have time and return them back to normal!"

His next words quickly turned into a strangled croak as the swordsman's fingers clasped around his throat and slammed him into the lamp post again.

"I warned you, didn't I? I told you that if anything happened to any of them I would make you regret the day you were born."

The threat came out with a slight tremor but the hand holding him in place was steady. Sanji remained motionless as he stared into Zoro's cold grey eyes, almost too stunned to think until the fighting instinct overtook his brain and he kicked the swordsman back. The green-haired man's lips split into a slasher smile.

"I bet that bamboo blade is looking really good now, huh?"

Sanji felt a pang of guilt as fragments of their conversation flashed in his mind. Zoro was still standing in front of him, fury painted on every line of his face, waiting for his next attack. For a second, he considered giving him what he wanted but a closer look at his opponent made him reconsider. Despite every effort the swordsman made to train his body and mind into an impassive, emotionless, machine that nothing could ever touch, Sanji could still read him like an open book. What he was reading now was impotence and frustration turned to hatred and directed at the only person on the island able to take it.

He recognized the feeling quite well. Unfortunately, right now Zoro's anger paled in comparison to the anger he was feeling towards himself. A thousand different scenarios flashed through his mind, where he had made better, smarter decisions that saved Usopp and Nami and each and every one of them chipped away at his sanity. His mind, shocked and exhausted, begged him to give in to Zoro´s provocation so it could stop thinking only to fall silent when an unexpected calmness overcame him, washing away the last remains of self-pity. He took a deep breath and let his mind click into place. One of them had to keep a cool head if they wanted to help their friends.

He hoped he could still be that person.

"Has your brain turned to moss completely?" He stepped forward ready to deflect a blow and was almost surprised when it didn't come. "When exactly did I bail on you? Keep focused, you idiot, think for a second! What good will it do to start a fight now? How will it bring Luffy and the rest back?"

He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, Zoro or himself. A sword slashed the air two centimeters away from his face. Sanji swerved to the right as a few stray hairs separated from his bangs and were swept up by the wind.

"You are telling _me_ to keep focused, shitty cook? You are the one who can't let go of your dumb little personal crusade! It's because of your touchy-feely bullshit that we're utterly screwed!"

Zoro leapt towards him, his last words turning into a roar. Kitetsu sprang from her sheath and passed dangerously close to his ear. He dodged, trying to keep his balance.

"Goddamnit, moss-head, will you listen to me?! I'm not going to fight you! We're going to go back to the house, find Solomon and figure out how to fix this mess."

The swordsman's face contorted at his words as he lunged towards him again.

"Fix what, shithead? It's gone, remember? It turned Kara, just like it wanted and now it's gone back to God fucking knows where for another year! Hell, we don't even know if this is reversible!" His eyes fell on Nami's still form as he raised his swords and threw three quick slashes at him. The last one took off a button from his shirt. "Robin told you to take care of them! She should have known better."

Sanji's retort never made it to his lips as his stoicism cracked around the edges. He side stepped, let Zoro get within his reach, dropped to a handstand and slammed both his legs against the swordsman's chest sending him flying towards the end of the square. Blind fury drove his every move as he ran towards Zoro's fallen form and hooked his foot under his chin to prevent him from getting up.

"Fuck you! Where were you when that thing turned Usopp, huh?" His foot pressed against Zoro´s throat forcing out a repressed growl from the swordsman. "How about Luffy and Chopper? Did you let them down too? Why did it spare you, tell me?!"

Zoro coughed, his dark menacing eyes still locked on his face.

"It spared me because I got lucky. It spared you because you're weak."

"What did you say!?" Sanji´s foot slipped from under Zoro's chin as he stepped back into a fighting stance allowing the swordsman to regain his mobility. "Get up and say that to my face, asshole!"

"I just did." Zoro stood up and clipped the swords to his belt as if deciding not to bother with the fight anymore. As he looked back at Sanji, there was a hint of contempt in his voice. "It was always like that, wasn't it? Ever since we picked you up at the Baratie. You're soft, you're easily influenced and you're incapable of separating your personal feelings from what's in front of you. That's why this ghost can manipulate you. That's why you couldn't protect Nami."

A stab of one of his katana would have probably achieved the same reaction. Sanji slowly backed away and lowered his head in defeat. Every angry comeback he had prepared now seemed childish and hollow as he shut his eyes to prevent real tears from spilling out. If Zoro had screamed at him, he would have probably screamed back and accompanied his words with a well-placed kick but the calm level voice took away his last resolve.

The swordsman was one hundred percent right.

He kicked a random rock at his feet so hard it tore the air like a bullet and smashed into pieces against a wall fighting to keep calm and organize his thoughts. This was not the time to feel sorry for himself. Luffy and the others would have done everything to help him. He owed them the same.

In the deafening silence that fell between them he found himself asking the only question possible.

"So what now?"

Zoro let out a short laugh that sounded almost like a curse.

"I don't know, shitty cook. You tell me."


	6. The silver lining

"How's Kara's mom?"

The cook's voice sounded unusually quiet as he poured the last drops of green tea into his glass. They were sitting around a small wooden table that had miraculously survived the fight with only one missing leg and a slightly cracked surface. Next to him, Zoro was beginning to regret his words or at least their timing. A sulking Sanji was much less efficient and right now they needed all the help they could get.

Solomon paused for a second as his eyes glanced around the wrecked living room. In the dim light of a dozen candles, his face bore a calm, sad expression almost as he had been anticipating the defeat and was now silently accepting it.

"As well as you may expect her to be. She's mourning her daughter."

Zoro felt a shiver go down his spine as his own gaze drifted towards the black statues of his companions standing in the hall. Sanji and he had gathered them there to keep them safe from the elements and the few remaining servants who had bothered to come back covered them with long white cloth. The sight looked way too much like a funeral for his liking.

"They are not technically dead, are they?" He hated the doubt in his own voice. "It's just a curse, that means it can be lifted, can't it?"

At the corner of his eye, Zoro saw Sanji raise his head as if waking up from a dream and stare at him in silent puzzlement.

"I thought you were convinced they were dead."

Zoro fumed and sloshed the green tea in his chipped mug so violently it nearly spilled over. The unspeakable rage that came over him after seeing Luffy, Chopper and Robin turned to statues had long ago left him and what came to replace it was embarrassment and shame for allowing his grief to blind him. He was the only one left who could set things straight and he had spent half of the night chasing the cook around and fighting with him. Luffy deserved a first mate that wouldn't surrender to doom and gloom so easily. He just hoped he could still make up for lost time.

He took a sip from the mug allowing his clenched jaw to relax a little.

"I changed my mind, okay? No point in being negative!" He turned to Solomon. "This Fellman, guy, did he have any weaknesses in life?

The mayor of Stillwater shook his head. A heavy frown descended upon his face. .

"None that I can remember. Besides, we're dealing with his ghost now. It hardly matters anymore."

Zoro put his mug down and stared at the ripples in the green concoction deep in thought.

"It matters if we're trying to find him. We can't wait around for a year until he decides to show his face again. Have you ever tried summoning him?"

"Some of the braver priests have tried. Nothing ever came out of it."

Sanji drummed his fingers on the table. Zoro could see a brief ray of hope piercing the mask of grief on his face as he looked at Solomon again.

"What about the island he died on?"

"Same there, I'm afraid. One year after the attacks started, some villagers went there by day and performed an exorcism. They even ground his bones into powder and spread them in the open sea so his spirit could never find Stillwater again. He came back despite that."

"Shit..." Zoro muttered under his breath throwing some bread crumbs in the general direction of a couple of fat pigeons wandering around the place. "So it's bound to the island itself."

"Which technically means there should be a place he feels most closely attached to." Sanji spoke softly almost as if he was talking to himself but his eyes settled upon Zoro. "The orphanage sounds like a good place to start, doesn't it?"

Solomon shrugged.

"I don't know about that, that's where he worked when they found him out. Won't bring many good memories, I imagine."

"It's not about the memories, it's about the emotional connection." Sanji interjected.

"The place hasn't even been closed down." Solomon turned away from the cook to focus on a dark corner of the destroyed living room. "We would know if anything strange was going on there. And you, little Jacob, can come out now."

"What?"

Zoro looked at him perplexed only to finally notice a small child-shaped form lurking near the entrance to the room doing everything it could not to attract attention. At the sound of Solomon´s voice, it shuffled its feet and stepped hesitantly away from the shadows. Moonlight fell over a little boy tugging nervously at a patched coat covered in sawdust that rained from the broken beams at irregular intervals.

"He won't be there, you know." The kid's voice quivered a bit as he found himself staring into Solomon's eyes.

"I thought I told all of you to go home." Their host now sounded exasperated. "Where's your mother? She's bound to be looking everywhere for you. After what happened to Kara..."

"Wait, wait, wait!." Zoro stood up very nearly flipping the table as he stepped over to the boy and crouched in front of him. "Who won't be there? Did you hear what we were talking about?"

The boy nodded, his dark eyes suddenly very interested in every crack and crevice on the dirty floor.

"My friends at the school tell me there's a cave near the Old Man's cliff. They say the monster that turns people into rocks lives there. Sometimes they see his shadow at the entrance. They dared me to go there and bring back a pebble."

"Did you ever do that?"

The boy shook his head from side to side so fast his black curls flew into a tangled mess in the air.

"Never. It's always cold around there. Even in summer."

Sanji shot a questioning look at Solomon. The mayor's eyes widened in shock as he scrutinized the boy's face.

"He used to play near that cliff all the time when he was a kid. I guess it's possible that... We just always assumed that the islet was where he..." He allowed his words to trail off one more time before he snapped out of his stupor, got up and kneeled next to Zoro with a stern expression. "How long has this been going on? Why didn´t you tell anybody?"

The little boy quivered even more as he backed away into a wall under the stare of the mayor. His tiny hands were digging into his coat so hard Zoro was sure he would eventually rip his sleeves off if they kept this up.

Solomon probably noticed that himself as his voice softened.

"You're not in trouble here, Jacob. We just need to know the truth. Many lives may depend on it."

Jacob raised his gaze at them, blushed furiously and looked away. Zoro felt a tug of sympathy for the kid as he saw him desperately scan the room as if trying to escape from the two pairs of eyes boring holes in his skull. Eventually they came to rest upon the cook still sitting behind the broken table. Sanji´s lips curved into a slight smile.

"Stop crowding him. Can´t you see he's already scared to death?"

The crimson blush around the kid´s cheeks spread even further. He took a sudden step forward and clenched his fists as the guilt fled from his face and anger replaced it.

"Shut up, I´m not scared!"

Sanji gave him a tiny nod. Behind him, Zoro could see him crossing his fingers under the table

"I know you´re not scared. You haven´t done anything wrong, right?"

Jacob shook his head again in a tiny blur of crimson red and black.

"No, I swear. We just… we just watched him stand there from time to time. He never leaves the entrance, just stands there like he's waiting for something. It was our secret." He turned around to face Solomon and Zoro with a pleading expression on his face. "You won´t tell anyone, right? They'll think it was all our fault for not telling. And then…"

But the cook wasn't listening to him anymore. His blue eyes were fixed on Zoro and the mayor.

"What do you think?"

Zoro shrugged and scanned the marble statues of the crew again.

"Do you have a better plan?"

* * *

"I'm coming with you."

In the velvety darkness that enveloped them Zoro could not see the cook's face but the steely determination in his voice made it clear he did not intent to discuss the matter any further. He propped himself up on the thin mattress stuffed with dry grass and tried to locate Sanji's form lying on the other side of the room.

"What's the point, dartbrow, to get yourself all marbled-up too? You can't do shit against him, remember?"

He could hear Sanji pause and shift his weight on the mattress. A weak beam of moonlight found its way through the cracked wall of the room and illuminated his prone silhouette.

"I don't care, I can't just stay behind twiddling my thumbs while you're fighting that thing alone. And 'marbled-up' isn't even a word."

Zoro sighed. As much as he understood where the cook was coming from, the idea of them both marching to face an unknown enemy leaving the rest of the crew unprotected seemed wrong and irresponsible. Somebody had to keep an eye on Luffy and the others in case neither of them came back. As he entertained that possibility, his stomach twisted painfully. Ending up as statues on some godforsaken island while all of their dreams gathered dust was not how he expected this journey to end.

"You're really going to discuss semantics now?" He could feel his eyebrows twitching as a feeling of animosity rose in his chest again. Arguing with Sanji lightened his mood slightly. In an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar faces and with most of his friends gone, it was the only things that remained unchanged and it felt strangely refreshing.

"Not semantics, no. Just common sense." The mattress on the other side of the room rustled as Sanji sat up and drew his knees to his chest. "We need a plan, we can't just go in there and whack at it until it drops dead. It's already way ahead of us in that regard."

Zoro frowned. His mind was working against the clock, trying to remember what their archaeologist had said about the creature as they planned their attack but most of her exposition had gone directly over his head. All he could remember were fragments and snippets about evil curses, mystical energy currents and something about salt and gunpowder. Somehow, all of that seemed useless right now.

"We fought it at night both times. Robin said that´s when spirits are most powerful. Maybe he won´t be that strong during the day."

"Maybe isn't good enough. Last time we had the whole crew and it mopped the floor with us."

Zoro felt his stomach sinking. As much as he disliked admitting it, the cook was right. Fighting the spirit had been like slashing away at a freezing, impassive mountain that took his hits in stride and never seemed to be too bothered by them. He had managed to make it retreat a couple of times but each attack seemed to sap more strength than it took to keep fighting. He closed his eyes trying to fight off the memories of the dark fog consuming Robin, Chopper and Luffy.

"Didn't you hear Robin? Feelings and thoughts, that´s what drives him, right? This whole damn village has been feeding it with their fear. In a cave he'll be cut off from all of that. And maybe that thing wouldn't have broken through the front gate if we had the _whole crew_."

The last two words came out more bitter than he had expected but it was too late to take anything back. To his surprise, Sanji didn't even respond. He remained perfectly still against the wall blowing out a cloud of cigarette smoke almost as if he was testing how far was Zoro willing to go with this. In the resulting silence, he heard him let out a long, aggressive sigh.

"You can blame me all you want once we get Luffy and the others back to normal but for now, do me a favor and concentrate on what's in front of us. Even if all of that is true, we still need a strategy."

Zoro looked and the side of his bed where his three swords were resting within hand´s reach next to some long paper rectangles scattered all over the floor.

"Solomon had the local priests bless my katana. He even gave us holy seals to wear on our clothes."

A slight chuckle floated from the other side of the room.

"I thought they already tried exorcisms. Besides, you don´t even believe in God."

Zoro shrugged.

"They do. Aron Fellman does or did anyway. I'm outnumbered here. Maybe the effect will be different if someone who´s not from this island wears them in their name." He fell silent for a while as his eyes settled on the cook's unmoving form. "Do you?"

Sanji raised his head.

"Do I what?"

"Do you believe in God?"

There was a long pause and the sound of restless fingers drumming on the floor. Finally, it stopped as his companion weaved his fingers under his chin and stared at him through the darkness.

"You mean like an actual, all-knowing, all-powerful God that is aware of prayers and has a plan for everyone?"

Zoro nodded.

"More or less, yeah. Do you believe he exists?"

Sanji didn't reply right away. In the faint moonlight, Zoro could see him crumple his cigarette pack between his fingers as he slipped the last cigarette between his lips. A brief flame from his lighter flashed across his face illuminating an almost melancholic smile.

"I hope he does. If not, that means we`re heading into a battle with impossible odds and nobody is watching over us. That's a really scary thought, huh?

Zoro rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Damn it, cook! What do you have against a simple yes or no?

"Hard questions rarely get simple answers." Sanji tilted his head backwards and blew a long streak of smoke towards the ceiling. "Anyway, holy seals are all nice and good but we need something else. Something that will break him from the inside."

Zoro could not help but let out a sarcastic laugh.

"What, you're going to try talking to it again? Didn't seem to work too well last time."

He could hear the cook stopping mid-sentence. When he spoke again, he sounded slightly embarrassed.

"You heard me?"

Zoro nodded again.

"Heard you screaming a bunch of nonsense on the square while I was chasing after that thing when it suddenly took off. I would have never found it any other way, the village was darker than a coffin."

He could almost swear the cook had smiled. Zoro slid a hand over his face to hide his annoyed expression even though the chances of Sanji seeing it in the dark were more than limited.

He let out a dismissive grunt.

"Forget it, curly-brow! That thing isn't going to listen to us or anyone here. You heard Usopp, it wants revenge and it won't stop until it turns the whole island into some fucked-up art show." He peered at the silhouette in front of him trying to get a glimpse of its face. "You still feel sorry for him?"

The cook shifted and uncurled from his position, lying prone on the mattress again.

"He took my friends, he turned an innocent child into stone. He sent many more to a horrible death."

Silence hung in the air as thick as the darkness in the room. After a while Zoro got tired of waiting.

"So?" He snapped. "What's your point?"

Sanji lay still for a while, tapping his fingers gently on the mattress. When he replied, his voice sounded quiet but steady and unrepentant.

"My point is, I wish he had been dragged to the deepest, darkest cell with only rats for company. I wish he had been isolated from everyone and everything until the memories of his crimes drove him insane. I wish he had lived long enough to forget what the sun looked like. I wish he had died of old age, alone and forgotten by his people and his friends. That would have been a worthy punishment." He paused, as if expecting Zoro to shoot a sarcastic remark at him but it never came. "Instead, he died in a long, brutal agony that only sparked a desire for revenge and Stillwater still trembles in fear every year instead of moving on. Tell me, what has starving him to death solved?"

"Answer my question, love cook."

Sanji fell silent again. Finally, he turned his head in Zoro's direction and uttered a single word.

"Yes."

Zoro´s heart sank. He had been expecting that answer but couldn't help but hope for a different one. Frustration laced his every word as he spoke again, his mind already running possible combat scenarios.

"So your attacks won't work against him?"

"Probably not."

"And you still want to face him?"

"Yes."

Sanji's laconic replies were beginning to get on his nerves. He slammed his fist into the bedroom wall sending small critters scurrying away.

"Goddamnit, dartbrow! Can't you see this is useless?! I'm trying to be logical here!"

He almost expected Sanji to blow up at him and start a fight but the silhouette in front of him remained impassive.

"I'm not asking you to understand it, just to accept the facts. I'm coming with you. The crew will be safe here. You, in turn, will need all the help you can get."

Zoro shot up from the mattress, glaring furiously at the cook.

"Just what the hell are you implying, huh?!"

Sanji rose from his spot and took a step towards him. The moonbeam peeping from behind the cracked wall did not reach him so Zoro could not see his expression. He stepped into a fighting stance out of pure habit. The cook, however, just stood there for a while until his right hand closed over his left arm and pulled the sleeve up to his elbow. He took another step towards Zoro and stretched his arm in front of him letting the faint moonlight fall on a large tattoo in the form of the letter X. His blue eyes met his for a split second before he stepped back into the shadows and readjusted his sleeve again.

"I'm implying Luffy wouldn't stay behind if it were us who needed rescuing."

Zoro felt a sigh of quiet resignation escape his lips. He could spot a losing battle when he saw one and there was clearly no point in arguing with the blond cook any further. The thousand scenarios running in his head spun in a closed cycle for a while before colliding into only one. They had both made up their minds. Whatever happened next was up to fate.

He settled over the mattress again, turned his back to Sanji and pulled a thick grey blanket over his shoulders.

"Go to sleep then. Long day tomorrow."

The cook seemed to hesitate, as if he hadn't been expecting him to give up so easily.

"What about the plan? We can't just..."

"We'll figure it out in the morning. Go to sleep, love cook. We're not any use to anybody dead on our feet."

He closed his eyes and let his mind drift off, ignoring the protests behind him.


	7. Darkest before dawn

When Sanji opened his eyes, the room was still dark.

He could hear some movement on the streets as Stillwater's early risers went about their business but the house around him was dead quiet to the point where he could hear loose boards creaking gently and the wind whistling through the branches in the garden. Water was dripping onto the ceiling from somewhere far above, beating out an irregular rhythm that had managed to creep into his sleep and was probably what had woken him up.

He yawned and stretched on the thin grey mattress feeling renewed and alive again. Sleeping on a soft, flat surface that didn't rock and sway with every movement was an experience he could get used to. He allowed himself to lie there for a few moments savoring the last seconds of peace and quiet he would get that day before briskly getting up and brushing off the stray blades of grass from his crumpled clothes.

"Hey, moss-head!" He called out softly in the dark. "Wake up, it's time to figure out what the hell are we going to do."

The room remained silent as a grave. Confused, Sanji peered at the mattress across the room as he slipped his feet into dark leather shoes.

"Zoro?"

He called out again and even before the name left his lips, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he noticed that he couldn't hear the swordsman's blasted snoring. He rushed to the other side of the room and tore the blanket away from the mattress to find it empty and cold. A quick look at the opposite corner confirmed his worst suspicions. His three swords were gone, as were the paper seals.

Sanji swore.

Small clouds of dust flew into the air as he ran outside, almost tearing the door off its hinges. His eyes scanned the empty front porch and the garden grounds in search of the green-haired man well aware of the fact that he was wasting his time. Common sense and years of travelling together were telling him that Zoro was long gone and as their last conversation resurfaced in his memory, he mentally kicked himself for not seeing this coming. Of course the idiot would have just taken off without a plan or backup. Leaving things to luck or fate or whatever he called it was his default plan for everything that ever crossed his path. He should have noticed that something was up from the moment the stupid swordsman had just rolled over and refused to answer his questions anymore. If he had already ended up as a motionless black statue somewhere near that godforsaken cliff he was going to kick his sorry ass into pebbles.

Someone was walking up the path leading to the front gate.

For a second, he allowed himself to hope as he sprinted towards the figure but when it came closer he realized it was not Zoro but a woman. Her long dark hair had probably been braided at some point but now the whole thing was coming undone and loose strands were bouncing on her chest and shoulders barely held together with bright red ribbons. She stopped to catch her breath, locked her gaze on him and then broke into a run, clutching a small leather bag. When she reached the entrance gate mangled by the monster the previous night, she stopped dead in her tracks as if hitting an invisible barrier. Sanji stopped abruptly to prevent himself from colliding with her. As he took a closer look at her face, he felt his stomach sink again.

Kara´s mother was surprisingly young for someone with a six-year-old daughter. Sanji had only managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of her sitting on the stairs in Solomon's living room but now as she stood in front of him, panting slightly from the run uphill, he could tell that she was probably not much older than himself. Her brown eyes were slightly puffy and even in the faint morning light, the streaks from dried up tears were clearly visible on her pale cheeks. Her face, however, reflected an almost eerie calm as she gave him an appraising look.

Sanji swallowed hard trying desperately to find the right words to say to her. He had been right there when Kara was turned into stone and now he wondered if she knew that. A voice at the back of his mind chastised him for even thinking about covering his own ass at a time like this. The woman was still standing there, staring wordlessly into his eyes as if trying to read his thoughts. The long silence was slowly getting unbearable.

He chose to take the first step.

"I can't imagine what you're going through right now." Even his own voice sounded small to him under that heavy stare. "I'm really sorry about what happened to Kara. Each and every one of us tried their hardest to protect her."

He paused, waiting for some kind of reaction but the woman just continued to look at him with an unreadable expression. Sanji got the uneasy feeling that she was somehow assessing him and for a second, he wondered if he was failing.

"I know it wasn't enough." He continued, doing his best not to avert his eyes. "But I promise you…"

To his surprise, the dark haired woman slowly raised her hand silencing him mid-sentence. Her lips trembled, then curved ever so slightly into a faint smile.

"What's your name?"

Her voice, on the other hand, sounded a bit older than her appearance. It was an unexpected contralto that carried a soft but commanding tone.

"Sanji"

The woman remained silent as her brown eyes studied him further. After a while, she spoke again.

"My name is Miriam." She looked away towards the house behind him as if assessing the damage done to the building. "You're with the Straw Hat pirates, aren't you?"

Sanji nodded. Kara's mother gave one last wistful look at the mansion and turned her head towards him again.

"I'm sorry about your companions. I heard they were all turned."

Sanji's thoughts went back to the swordsman fighting a hopeless battle alone. He silently prayed she was not right yet.

"Not all of them."

Miriam's sad smile melted away to be replaced with a serious look.

"Solomon told me what you and your green-haired friend were planning to do. I was hoping to get to you before you left."

She reached into a small leather bag and scooped out a long silver chain on which small objects clattered softly against one another. As she handed the chain to him, Sanji could see that they were thin wooden tags with rounded edges similar to the identification tags he had sometimes seen marines wear. Taking it into his own hands, however, he finally noticed tiny but amazingly detailed portraits etched into the delicate wood and finished in black ink. Dozens of faces looked at him, swaying gently in the morning breeze. As he peered closer, he noticed Kara smiling from a tag hanging right next to the silver clasp.

He looked up and found Miriam's eyes locked on the same portrait.

"They're all Aron Fellman's victims." She could probably read the unspoken question on his face. He nodded in silence urging her to continue. "Each and every one, including the kids he sent to their deaths in the marine sector. Now my daughter is among them as well."

Sanji opened his mouth in a futile attempt to console her but she just raised her hand stopping him.

"I know you can't promise me you'll end him for good." Her voice had acquired a steely, determined tone and as her eyes met Sanji´s, they clouded over. "I also know you can't promise me you'll bring Kara back."

She paused and blinked back the tears. When she spoke again, her words carried an iron will that rivaled Luffy's.

"But you can promise me one thing." She took the chain from his hands, her fingers slowly brushing against the wooden tags and stopping at her daughter's. "The priests on this island have been collecting the portraits of his victims one by one. They say an image of a person contains a little bit of their soul. If that's true, the souls of all his victims are right here."

She stared at Kara's smiling face for a while before handing the chain back.

"Take it with you. Let him face them all. Make him suffer till he begs to return to whatever hell he came from! Make him pay for what he has done to us! And if you come back, please return it to the temple so we can pray for our fallen friends. Will you promise me that?"

Sanji looked down at the sacred relic in his hands. It seemed strangely heavier now that she had compared the tiny portraits to pieces of souls. His fingers slowly closed around them to find the silver chain still warm from Miriam's hands.

He looked back into the brown eyes and gave a short determined nod.

"I promise."

* * *

Zoro was beginning to suspect he was lost again.

Old Man's cliff, or whatever the little kid had called it, hadn't been that difficult to find. He had managed to bump into a couple of locals when he slipped out of Solomon's mansion at the break of dawn and they had helpfully pointed him in the right direction even if their hands had shaken slightly when doing so. After running along the beach for around half an hour, he had located the massive rock structure overhanging the sea not ten kilometers away from the Going Merry's docking place. However, as he walked up to the stone wall trying to find a cave entrance, he found nothing but wild ivy covering the rock like an irregular green tapestry.

He frowned, running his fingers along the stone as he continued to walk forward. He couldn't be in the wrong place. As far as he knew, this was the only cliff similar to Jacob's description on the entire island. Then again, it would not be the first time he had walked completely in the opposite direction.

A sudden gust of cold wind made him stop in his tracks. Almost at the same time, his fingers lost contact with the side of the cliff and found empty space between the ivy branches.

Zoro stood in front of an opening in the rock. Behind the green leaves, a narrow tunnel wormed its way through the mountain and disappeared in the darkness ahead. He carefully parted the branches and was greeted with a subtle whistling as another gust of wind blew from the inside making his hair stand on end. The holy seals glued on his clothing rustled a bit and as his hand instinctively wrapped itself around the hilt of a sword, he felt a small tingling sensation course through his skin.

He closed his eyes mentally preparing himself for whatever was to come. It was only then that he noticed how eerily quiet the place had gotten all of a sudden. He could still hear the waves crashing into the rocks surrounding the cliff but they sounded further and further away as if something was dampening his senses. The gulls that had followed him as he ran along the beach had left him behind a long time ago and even the insects that usually buzzed around the sparse white flowers were nowhere to be seen. The air in front of the entrance grew thicker and colder with every moment. In the crushing silence, he let out a long steady breath and was about to take a step forward but another faint sound behind him caught his attention and made him spin around.

A tall wiry figure in black clothing was running towards him kicking up wet sand.

Zoro cursed.

He had been expecting that outcome since the moment he stepped out of Solomon's house leaving Sanji sleeping on the grass mattress but now that it was actually happening, he realized that he had prepared nothing to placate the cook's wrath once he had caught up with him. Then again, he thought bitterly as his silhouette grew closer and closer, he had no explanation that Sanji would want to hear. On second thought, he should have probably drugged him with Chopper's sleeping draught or locked him up somewhere to at least slow him down. He had known the cook for too long to expect him to just stay back at the village and dutifully wait for Zoro to return victorious. Especially after what had happened with Nami.

His thoughts went to the statues of the crew standing around in the mansion under white sheets and he felt his stomach sinking. Adding Sanji to that collection was not in his plan. If the stupid cook could not understand that, he would have to resort to desperate measures.

"I figured you would come." He muttered more to himself than anything else and faced the cave entrance again.

A strong kick to his head made him wince and turn around. Sanji's furious face swam in front of his eyes as he moved towards him menacingly and growled.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The cook stepped back and lifted his left leg but the attack never came. His blue eyes were still fixed on Zoro and for a second he could almost see relief cross the cook's features before they hardened again. Sanji eyed him for a while, scanning the paper seals that covered most of his clothing.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Who do you think you are to leave me in the dust like that?"

Zoro let out an annoyed growl. The last thing he needed now was an argument with him. They could not agree on anything under normal circumstances and the current situation was anything but normal.

"Stupid cook, you're useless in this fight! I don't have time to watch your back! This can actually get ugly."

"What did you just say?" Sanji took a step forward, with a tone that could split rock. "Who told you I needed you to watch my back, moss-for-brains? I can fucking take care of myself!"

"Sure, we could all see how well that worked out last night!"

Zoro mentally kicked himself as he saw the anger on the cook's face waver for a moment. Bringing up Nami and Kara was what had started that mess in the first place. He had called him weak to his face and was now expecting him to just sit back and take it. Any possibility to discuss this rationally had flown right out of the window from that moment on.

He sighed and sheathed the sword he did not even remember taking out. The memories of Robin, Luffy and Chopper turning to black marble right in front of him floated before his eyes. The searing guilt for not being able to help them resurfaced and at the same time, he felt a decision taking shape in his mind.

They had all sworn to protect each other. Even from themselves.

His voice came out unexpectedly soft as he addressed the cook again.

"Go back, Sanji. Take care of the others. Leave this thing to me."

He turned around to convey their conversation was over and only then noticed that he had actually used the blond cook's name. The realization surprised even himself as he stood there for a second considering that might be the last time they ever spoke to each other. His musings, however, were cut short by Sanji hooking his foot around him and practically tearing him away from the cave entrance.

"Fuck you, seaweed-head! I'm not letting you go there alone!"

Zoro looked at him impassively. Finally he shrugged and tossed his head towards the darkness ahead.

"Be my guest. It's your funeral."


	8. An ill wind

The air behind the green wall of ivy was damp and cold. Sanji stepped inside the cave and blinked a couple of times allowing his eyes to adjust to the new environment. He stood still for a while carefully surveying the walls and the ceiling wondering how long had it been since anyone came here. If kids indeed used to play inside, it must have been a very long time ago.

The ivy branches rustled behind his back. A few stray rays of the morning sun slipped through them as the swordsman followed him.

"Go ahead, love cook. Ladies first."

Sanji let out a dismissive chuckle and took a couple of steps forward. The tunnel, narrow and dark at the entrance, became wider as he walked further and the impenetrable darkness was slowly greying out. There was probably a light source somewhere up ahead but the tunnel twisted and bent, making it impossible to locate.

The air around him grew heavier as he took in a deep breath feeling goosebumps spread all over his arms and neck. Now that he was approaching the first turn of the tunnel he could feel there was something wrong with the place. He didn't remember the ceiling suddenly rising a couple of centimeters allowing him to walk straight and not with his head sunk between his shoulders. He also couldn't understand how the space behind him seemed so much darker than the one in front despite the fact that the only visible light source was the sun shining meekly through the green ivy. The place seemed to be molding itself to fit him, almost as if it was inviting him in.

A frown crept upon his face as he found himself fiddling with the wooden portraits on the silver chain around his neck. If the late Aron Fellman really was feeling generous towards him, the smartest thing to do was probably to ignore it.

Zoro was still rooted to the spot where he had stood since the moment he entered the cave. Sanji stopped, waiting for him to follow but the swordsman kept his position. His apparent hesitation brought a sardonic smile to his lips.

"What's wrong, moss-head? Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark?"

Zoro didn't even acknowledge the insult. His shadow on the wall remained motionless.

"Don't be a moron and concentrate. This is enemy territory in case you forgot. Can you see anything?"

There was something in Zoro's voice that made every alarm in his head go off. He was used to the swordsman hurling insults his way but this time, the words sounded hollow and almost rehearsed. As he pretended to peer ahead, his ears caught a familiar sound that made his blood run cold.

It was a katana being unclipped from Zoro's belt.

Sanji's legs moved on their own accord before the rest of his body had time to catch up. He side-stepped, hugged the wall to regain his balance and retreated further into the cave just in time to see Wadou's hilt swish through the empty space where his head had been not a second ago. The swordsman's eyes widened in shock. For a second, he remained frozen, looking at Sanji in mute astonishment before lowering his weapon and stepping forward never dropping his fighting stance.

"What… the hell was that?" Sanji stared at the katana gripped tightly in Zoro's hand not entirely believing the scene before him. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

Zoro's face locked into an impassive mask as he took another step towards him. His fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword again as if preparing to repeat his attack.

"You left me no choice, idiot! I already told you, you're useless in this fight. But it seems nothing I say will get though that thick skull of yours…"

Zoro's voice trailed off as he eyed him intensely. Sanji retreated further inside the tunnel very aware of the fact that the walls seemed to spread out around him, giving him more fighting space.

"And I told you I don't give a damn!" A treacherous little voice at the back of his mind urged him to take the advantage the place was giving him and round kick Zoro into the wall but the strange look in his eyes made him reconsider. "I told you I was not going to let you do this alone and I stand by it. If you don't like it, I can gladly kick your ass later!"

His whole body tensed, ready to avoid an attack that was taking far longer than he expected. The swordsman looked ready to pounce at him at any moment but the grey eyes were giving him an almost pleading look.

"Goddamnit cook, I don't want to do this! Why can't you just be reasonable for once in your life and step aside?"

Sanji's angry retort never made it to his lips as he stared down his companion. The sheer, unabashed sincerity in Zoro's voice took him completely by surprise and made his blood boil in his veins. Feeling his face flare with anger and guilt he stepped towards the swordsman fighting the instinct to kick him all the way back to the cave entrance.

"Fuck you, don't you dare be so selfish!" Stealth took a back seat as his voice bounced off the walls and echoed down the tunnel. "I was right there when Usopp got turned! Same goes for Nami and Kara! I couldn't do shit to prevent it! Don't I get a second chance? Don't I get to fix my mistake?"

Zoro's eyes widened slightly at his outburst. Sanji could see his fingers slowly relax around the hilt of the sword.

"Nami doesn't blame you, you know?" The steely tone he had used since Sanji had caught up with him on the beach softened into a neutral, almost calm one. "Neither does Usopp or that little girl for that matter."

Sanji pinched the bridge of his nose, both surprised and annoyed at the unexpected change. The last thing he needed now was for Zoro of all people to reassure him.

"Have you asked them that?" Sarcasm dripped from every word as he flashed a desperate smile. "I doubt they could answer you, being statues and all."

Zoro rolled his eyes at him and sheathed his weapon. The look he gave him made him hold onto his next remark and wait for the swordsman's reply.

"I don't need to!" He paused for a moment, his gaze wandering aimlessly around the cave as if stalling for time. When he spoke again, there was a slight hint of remorse in his voice. "And how come this is suddenly all about you? I was right there when Luffy, Robin and Chopper also got turned and I couldn't do anything either."

Sanji's eyes were probably reaching the dimensions of small dinner plates now. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, stood there gaping at him for a few seconds and then shut it again with an audible clasp. He was expecting everything except that but what he expected even less was for the swordsman to avert his eyes and stare at the ground as he continued through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, okay? I was furious with myself and took it out on you." He raised his eyes to face him and this time, the remorse was gone, replaced by the familiar angry undertone. "But if this thing manages to turn me, you'll be the only one left to set things right! All I'm asking is that you don't throw your life away just because you feel like you have to prove something. Even an idiot like you should understand that, right?"

Sanji sighed as his left palm slowly descended upon his face. The insult Zoro had thrown in at the last moment didn't manage to disguise the plea creeping into his voice again. The whole situation was beginning to get uncomfortable. He had never expected the swordsman to protect him but now that it was happening, he had no idea how to react except to be extremely offended by the mere suggestion that he needed his help. He decided to let it slide for now. The cave already seemed to be way too eager for them to kill each other.

"You're the one who doesn't understand, shitty swordsman! I don't think he wants to turn me."

This time it was Zoro's turn to be speechless.

"What?"

"You heard me." Sanji leaned against a wall stepping out of the fighting stance and fumbled for a cigarette pack in his breast pocket. "I was standing right in front on Nami when she got turned and he passed right through me. Why would he spare me and not her?"

Zoro frowned as he stepped closer returning the sheathed sword to his belt.

"Spare is a very loose term, cook. You looked like shit when I found you."

"It doesn't matter! My point is, Nami is a statue and I'm not!"

"Any idea why?"

Sanji shook his head distracted as the lighter clicked repeatedly between his fingers. It produced a couple of stray sparks but no flame.

"Who knows, maybe he thinks we're kindred spirits."

"Are you?"

Sanji gave up fighting with the lighter and raised his eyes. The swordsman was still staring at him, waiting for an answer, just like he had that time on the balcony of Solomon's mansion. The scrutiny made him unconsciously back against the wall.

"I don't know but if he's really inclined to cut me some slack, there must be a way to turn this against him!" He separated himself from the wall, stuffed the useless lighter in his pocket and looked at Zoro with determination. "It's better than just staying behind! If there's even a remote chance I can make this work, I have to try!"

The swordsman in front of him remained silent. His grey eyes continued to peer at him intensely as if trying to scan him for answers. Finally, he let out a long, exasperated sigh and reached towards a holy seal stuck to his sleeve. Carefully separating the rough paper from the clothing, he gave it an appraising look as if to check that the ink hadn't washed off and pressed if firmly against Sanji's shoulder.

Sanji looked at him puzzled and raised his fingers towards the small paper rectangle firmly glued to the fabric of his shirt.

"Huh?"

Zoro just shrugged and continued to rip the seals off himself. His fingers pressed against his body again and again, covering his chest, arms and legs with paper.

"What?" He stopped for a second noticing Sanji's confused expression. "I already have blessed swords. If you're going in with me, you'll need some sort of protection."

Sanji chuckled softly as he readjusted his clothing. Zoro's fingers brushed against his collarbone attaching another piece of paper.

"I think you missed a spot."

Zoro glowered at him as he held up the last seal. The swordsman's fingers hovered over him for a while and stuck the paper rectangle to Sanji's forehead.

"There, much better." Sanji's dirty look went completely ignored as Zoro's eyes settled on the silver chain around his neck. "What the hell are you wearing?"

Sanji fumed as he ripped the seal from his face and pressed it against his sleeve.

"That happens to be a sacred relic entrusted to me by a beautiful lady. Show some respect."

Zoro shook his head and grabbed his arm, dragging him down the tunnel.

"Typical, love cook! We're about to face off against God knows what and you still manage to find the time to flirt with some chick."

"Hey, that's Kara's mother you're talking about!" Sanji stopped, realizing he wasn't making a very good case for himself.

Zoro just rolled his eyes again and slowed down, matching his pace with Sanji as he told him about his meeting with Miriam. After he finished his story, they walked in silence for a while before the swordsman decided to break it.

"So, do you think it'll work?"

Sanji looked down at the tiny wooden tags swaying to the rhythm of his footsteps.

"I don't know. You're willing to try holy seals after all. I'm just trying to keep an open mind here."

"Right." Zoro gave him an amused look. "So what you're trying to tell me is that you have no idea what you're doing."

Sanji glared at him but felt his heart sink a little as every fiber of his being felt inclined to agree with the green-haired swordsman. He looked anxiously at the tunnel that snaked in front of them and wondered how long have they been stumbling around inside the cave. The dark sense of foreboding danger that loomed over him since they entered the place was slowly dissipating and he felt slightly stupid, creeping in the darkness covered in paper seals from top to bottom. For all he knew, he had been right from the get go and the orphanage was the best place to start after all.

A cold breeze blew in from around the corner and froze him on the spot. A few steps behind him, Zoro stopped as well.

"Did you hear that?" The swordsman's voice fell into a whisper.

"Hear what?"

Sanji spun around but his companion pressed his index finger to his lips and slowly gestured to the left where the tunnel took a sharp turn. Weak, pale light from some unseen source above pooled on the floor and streamed down the walls of the cave. He took a hesitant step ahead and heard the sound of his footsteps bounce around and echo indicating a much larger space right beyond that corner. When he was about to reach the small light puddle, he finally heard it.

Somebody was humming.

Sanji stopped in his tracks, not entirely ready to believe his own ears. A deep male voice floated in the air carrying a somber marching tune that made his stomach twist and his hair stand on end. He stood still, hypnotized by the sound like a small child unable to look away from some gruesome scene. The song tugged at some half-forgotten memory and as he listened closely trying to figure out where he had heard it before he slowly realized that it sounded slightly off. The voice, though undoubtedly speaking his language, lacked humanity or any kind of spirit. It droned on and on as if the person singing had long forgotten the song's meaning and just let the words flow out.

The swordsman behind him narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. He mouthed a silent curse as he gave Sanji a look that combined revulsion and pure undiluted confusion.

"Is that…?" He interrupted himself and turned his head in the direction of the grim melody to catch a few more notes. "Is that the goddamn marine anthem?"

Sanji nodded as the soulless hymn intensified. For the second time since he entered the cave, he had the unsettling feeling that something was not right. The space around them seemed to tighten ever so slightly, shifting just in the right directions to make him feel tiny and claustrophobic. Tired of the endless waiting, he took another step forward and turned left crossing the last distance between him and whatever lay ahead.

A few rays of sunlight fell into his eyes making him squint.

He found himself standing in an ample grotto. The ceiling above them was partially caved in and grey morning light was seeping through, illuminating a couple of rough columns chiseled out of white stone.

Sanji frowned. In a cave that seemed completely untouched by people, that small element of human intervention seemed entirely out of place. His eyes scanned the cave again frantically looking for the owner of the dull voice until he finally realized that the humming had stopped.

The air around him crackled.

On the other side of the cave, the shadows moved and shifted separating themselves from the darkness as a human form in frayed clothing swirled into shape. Pale blue eyes widened in rage when they found him. Something between a shriek and a croak arose from the spirit's throat before his face twisted in a slasher smile and thin, almost skeletal feet moved silently across the floor in his direction.

Zoro positioned himself by his side. The swordsman's grey eyes settled on Sanji's for a split second before he unsheathed his swords and threw him a fatalistic smile.

"I hope your mind is open enough."


	9. The eye of the storm

For the second time in his life, Sanji found himself muttering a prayer.

He wasn't even sure if the four short lines looping around in his head came from a prayer but that was the function he had assigned to them ever since he heard them from Zeff's mouth on that small island what now seemed a lifetime ago. Back then, his mentor had used the little rhyme to keep himself sane. Now, as Sanji charged towards the shambling figure in front of him, he was using it to clear his mind and keep the spirit out of his head as much as possible. The effect was quickly ruined by Zoro yelling a battle cry and rushing past him like a sharp green cyclone.

Three swords slashed at the slowly moving shadow knocking it back a couple of steps. The spirit emitted a long guttural croak. Its neck snapped back at an impossible angle and Sanji took that chance to drop to a handstand and slam his leg against the creature's side. A short triumphant laugh escaped his throat as his foot actually connected with something solid.

The wide grin fled from his lips the moment he realized the spirit was still standing.

Aron Fellman's dark form twisted like a marionette controlled by a mad puppeteer. Another kick made it rock on its crooked feet but the creature remained where it stood, its pale empty eyes boring holes through his head. Dumbfounded and enraged Sanji retreated cursing every priest that drew the paper seals that rustled on his clothes. Being able to finally touch the spirit was absolutely useless if all he was going to do is absorb his attacks.

His eyes settled on three deep gashes on the creature's chest left by Zoro's katana. One of them could probably have lopped off its head had it been aimed a little higher. Grey smoke was slowly seeping from the wounds but the damage didn't seem to affect the spirit's speed as it slid towards him with deafening shriek. He swerved to the left, avoiding the arm reaching towards his neck and flung another kick at the spirit taking care that the paper seals came in contact with the cold dry flesh. The shadow hissed at him and tried to close its long bony fingers around his foot. As Sanji side-stepped, a familiar cold wave shot up his leg and quickly spread over the entire left side of his body numbing it to the core. A painful pang in his chest almost made him stumble when he kicked himself free and quickly stepped back to give himself more space for his follow-up kick. Aron Fellman's dead eyes gave him one last empty glance before his lips parted in a psychotic smile and he lunged towards Zoro.

"Not this shit again!"

Sanji felt anger well up inside him as his mind flashed back to the events of two nights ago. He regained his balance and rushed to the swordsman's side who didn't even acknowledge his presence as his swords ripped the monster's flesh. It flew back like a broken doll, croaking and screeching at the touch of the blessed blades. Sanji's fourth kick didn't connect with the spirit but made him come to a sudden halt and change direction. A rough white marble column stopped the retreating shadow as he backed against it like a cornered animal.

He saw Zoro wince and rub his right arm on which the first signs of frostbite were beginning to show. When he finally noticed Sanji, his lips turned up into a slight smirk.

"I told you this was a stupid idea, love cook. Regret your decision yet?"

Sanji shook his head as he pulled the silver chain off his neck. The metal felt slightly warm and a slight tingling sensation crept up his fingers as he held it up. The small wooden tags clattered against one another like a dozen hushed voices.

"I regret nothing, moss-head." He clasped the chain in his fist and thrust it in front of the spirit which was still backed against the column, its gaunt pale face contorted in a mask of rage and desperation. "You know these faces, right? They've been waiting a very long time to meet you again. Come and say hi, asshole!"

The effect was immediate though completely opposite to what he had expected. The spirit squeezed out something between a moan and a croak and stumbled towards Sanji reaching for the portraits with a sinewy arm. The cracked lips moved again and this time the words sounded not like a whisper but more like a strangled cry.

"Give me… give… me."

The spirit's withered fingers were about to close around the silver chain as Sanji snapped out of his stupor, snatched it back and slid it over his neck. He stepped away from the stone pillar, watching the spirit's every move torn between confusion, anger and simple dejection. In his mind, Miriam's relic had been the key to their salvation and he had almost envisioned Aron Fellman screaming in anguish and crumbling into nothing at the mere sight of it. That was how it was supposed to go, that's how it always went in every ghost story ever. He felt cheated out of his happy ending but the feeling quickly vanished as he saw the shadow shift and change.

The spirit's jaw dropped and distended revealing two rows of sharp yellow teeth. His face twitched, its features rearranging themselves to become angular and almost canine. The faded blue eyes acquired a red glow and its body rose a couple of centimeters higher. The twisted fingers seemed to grow a fourth phalange as they crooked into claws and the broken nails became long and sharp.

Sanji felt his shoulders slump as the seals on his clothing flapped like under some invisible gale.

"You… gotta be fucking kidding me."

The monster let out a croak that reverberated in the cavern and sent a chill up his spine. Sanji was still rooted to the spot, staring at the newly morphed creature in front of him like it was some bad dream when it sprang from its position and slashed at his face. Pure instinct made him swerve just in the nick of time to avoid the monster's nails ripping out his eyeballs but not for them to leave three deep scratches on his cheek. He let out a hiss of pain and quickly changed direction to confuse the newly transformed spirit only to discover that he had stopped paying attention to him and had already turned his red, murderous gaze towards the swordsman.

Zoro brandished his swords and faced off the hulking beast running towards him at top speed. His grey eyes caught Sanji's astonished expression and shot him a look of total resignation. .

"Do you regret your decision _now_?"

Any answer Sanji might have given would have been drowned in a deafening roar when the spirit struck back a long skeletal arm and clawed at Zoro. Three swords crossed one in front of another and clashed against the monster but the sheer impact of the blow made the swordsman stumble a bit and lose his footing. Sanji swore and shot forward feeling the muscles in his left leg finally loosening up.

The air around him buzzed and crackled as he picked up a stone from the floor and hurled it at the spirit only for the rock to bounce off him like a rubber ball. Zoro, still pinned, suddenly swayed to the side, broke the claw's lock and released his blades in a deadly whirlwind. The creature groaned in pain but did not retreat. Its howl turned into a high pitched wail as it turned its head and charged in Sanji's direction. The maw's razor-sharp teeth closed two centimeters away from his shoulder as he ducked under its arm and dove behind a column.

"What the hell was that about?!" Zoro's voice sounded a bit out of breath as he avoided another attack and positioned himself next to him. His eyes locked on the wooden tags clattering around Sanji's neck. "Were you trying to sound heroic or something?"

Sanji felt his face flare up in what he chose to call anger. Another screech from the spirit made him dash to the right as a clawed arm swiped at his neck again.

"Shut up, you are the one who decided to come here without a plan! I'm improvising, okay?"

Zoro just smirked. Kitetsu sank into the spirit's lower torso releasing a few strands of grey smoke.

"Improvise better, shitty cook, or get out of my way."

Sanji rolled his eyes. He wasn't sure which one of them was stupider, Zoro for getting into a pointless argument right in the middle of a battle of himself for actually following through with it. He was about to shoot back an angry remark of his own when the scream hit him.

This time it came accompanied by a wave of pain that made his head reel and his vision blur. In a brief moment of lucidity he managed to catch a glimpse of Zoro clutching at his temples before the world erupted into light and heat. A faraway sound of crashing waves crept into his ears and a second later, he could taste seawater at the back of his throat and sand between his teeth. Panicked, wild hunger assaulted him as he found himself thrashing on a rocky surface, dry heaving in a futile attempt to draw his last breath.

Not again. Shit, not again! Anything but this!

A voice at the back of his mind screamed at him to pull himself together. He felt his lips moving on their own accord, frantically repeating Zeff's short verse as if his life depended on it. As the words rang though his head slowly kicking his thoughts back into gear he finally noticed that the island around him seemed different from the one that haunted his dreams.

Not his sun. Not his endless blue sky.

Not his memories either.

The blurry island swirled and melted into darkness as he furiously blinked the vision back. Through the fog that clouded his eyes he saw the spirit rushing towards him only to be violently thrown to the side when Zoro crashed into him. More grey smoke poured away from the creature as its howl intensified. The swordsman managed one last desperate attack before his knees wobbled and he collapsed, holding his head like it was about to crack in half. Still feeling the world spinning around him Sanji ran towards him and dragged him away from the monster's claws about to dig into his unprotected back.

Zoro groaned and swore as his head hit the stone pillar. A thin trail of blood slowly found its way from the left corner of his mouth. His eyes, however, still regarded Sanji with a mocking expression.

"What…do you think you're doing, idiot cook? Do you have a death wish or something?"

Sanji didn't even bother to acknowledge his insult. His eyes were locked on the monster as it staggered around the cavern looking for their hiding place.

"It caught me by surprise, won't happen again." He shook his head desperately trying to make the splitting pain go away. "You better be careful, he can get into your mind."

Zoro let out a sound halfway between a chuckle and a painful cough. A couple of blood specks landed on his shirt.

"Your mind, maybe. I've trained mine to be an impenetrable fortress. There's no way I'll let him through."

"He doesn't exactly ask for permission, muscle-head!" Sanji almost forgot to keep his voice down as he kept his eyes locked on the wandering spirit. "I'm serious! He's using his memories as a weapon! Either that or…"

The spirit's hellish screech embedded itself in his brain again and this time he was unable to repress a scream. The cavern swam in front of his eyes as a string of images and sensations flashed though his mind. A shaking hand jamming rotting green moss into a mouth covered in sores, a bleeding figure desperately seeking refuge from the unforgiving sun and finding none, thirst strong enough to gulp down seawater. Sanji gritted his teeth, trying in vain to concentrate on the short verse but even the first lines seemed to be escaping his memory. In the blinding succession of images flooding his eyes, he heard the spirit's voice again.

"My island…my people… give me… give me…"

The mantra dissolved into a croak as a clash of metal and bone brought him back to reality. Zoro had abandoned his position behind the stone pillar and was now standing between him and the monster, his legs shaking slightly. The green hair on the right side of his head was thick with blood flowing out of his ear and when the spirit screamed again, Wadou slipped from the swordsman's mouth and clattered to the ground. The dark shadow loomed over him, its maw about to close around Zoro's neck only to find itself in the way of Kitetsu. Yubashiri slashed at the creature's legs making it rock unsteadily right before the two swords ripped into the dead flesh again. The attack threw the spirit to the opposite side of the cavern in a cloud of smoke.

Zoro turned around panting heavily. His pale face bore a triumphant smile but the grey eyes gave him a concerned look.

"You're not keeping up, dartbrow. I may have to just finish this thing myself if I have to wait for you to get your act together."

Sanji gave him a weak smile.

"Keep dreaming, seaweed-head. This guy has officially pissed me off."

He straightened up, feeling the cavern around him careen out of control. A red cloud was spreading further and further along his line of sight giving everything a slightly crimson shade. He quickly wiped his eyes and saw a few drops of blood on his cuffs. A wave of anger and frustration overcame him as he rushed towards the spirit that was slowly creeping towards them changing directions every once in a while, red eyes still fixed on Zoro's blades.

"Hey you!" He met the creature's burning gaze and felt the air around him crackle again. "I know you can hear me! You've been tormenting these people for over thirty years and guess what, asshole! There's nothing for you here! Hell, even if you turn this whole village to stone, nothing will change! You'll still be dead!"

The spirit hissed at him but stopped his advance. For a second, Sanji could read hesitation in his movements and almost allowed himself to hope again. Zoro's mouth dropped open as he gave him an incredulous look.

"You can't be serious! You already tried to pull this shit last night! Don't you ever learn?"

Sanji didn't answer. He took another step towards the dark shadow as he felt warmth flow from silver chain on his neck again. The paper seals on his clothing fluttered ominously.

"Shut up, moss-head, I know he can talk, I've heard him!" He stared into the monster's eyes again to find them no longer red but a faded blue. "You could have turned me back there but you left me alive. Well, I'm here now! Talk to m… AARGH!"

Sudden and merciless pain exploded in the left side of his head making the world swirl into darkness. He could feel blood pooling in the back of his throat as his knees hit the floor and a numb sensation spread over his limbs. A flash of light and heat blinded him momentarily and visions of death and decay inundated his mind again. The voice of the spirit filled his ears but Sanji could no longer decipher the words in that meaningless cacophony. He felt Zoro's fingers tighten around his arm in an iron grip and drag him somewhere away from the spirit. As the cavern slowly came into focus he could feel a familiar sensation of rage rising in his chest.

"SHIT!" He shot up and immediately regretted it as a stab of agony made him sway where he stood. "I've had enough of your bullshit visions! Talk like a normal person, goddamnit! What the hell do you want!?"

Zoro looked at him with a grim expression as he got to his feet unsteadily.

"Give it up, love cook, it's hopeless. The last thing on his mind is talking to us."

Sanji felt the world dropping away from him. For a second he didn't even dare to breathe as he looked at the swordsman like he had just revealed the meaning of life to him. Zoro must have noticed that himself since he suddenly dropped his fighting stance and glared at him in puzzlement and concern.

"Oi, cook... are you all right?"

Sanji ignored the question feeling the tired cogs in his mind slowly beginning to spin again. When he answered, his voice felt small and distant even to himself.

"What… did you just say…?

Zoro just continued to stare at him dumbfounded. His lips moved as if he was about to repeat his last statement but Sanji wasn't listening to him anymore. A mad grin appeared on his lips as he moved away from the column supporting his weight. A new unexpected source of strength coursed through his veins melting away the pain.

The last thing on his mind…

It couldn't be that simple. It simply couldn't. It defied all logic.

But even so, he could never forgive himself if he didn't try.

He looked at the entrance of the cavern quickly calculating the distance between the cave and the Going Merry's docking place.

"How long can you hold him off?"

Zoro gave him a look of utter bewilderment. His eyes opened so wide that they looked ready to pop out of their sockets.

"WHAT?! Are you fucking serious? You gave me all that attitude for leaving you behind just to ditch me now?"

Sanji let out a frustrated grunt.

"Goddamnit, Zoro, how long?!"

"Fifteen minutes. Maybe more…" His voice trailed off as Sanji rotated his ankles on the ground and pulled the silver chain off. "Wait, cook! What the hell are you doing?

Sanji shrugged him off and slid Miriam's relic around the swordsman's neck.

"I'll be back in ten minutes. Will you manage not to die until then?"

Zoro's eyes opened even wider as the wooden tags came to rest against his chest, clattering softly. For a second he seemed struck completely speechless until he scoffed and looked away.

"I've held my own until now, haven't I?" The swordsman's face twisted into a smile as another scream of the spirit pierced the air. "You better not leave me hanging, curly brow. If I die, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life. And I promise you, my ghost will be a much bigger pain in the ass than this guy."

He stepped away from the pillar, picked up Wadou and turned to face Aron Fellman.

"Hey you! Come and get me!"

Sanji felt his heart drop to his feet. He involuntarily took a step towards Zoro as his companion waved his arms in the air attracting the creature's attention.

"Are you nuts?! What are you doing?"

Zoro shot him an annoyed look.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm covering your sorry ass! Run!"

On the other side of the cavern the spirit screeched menacingly and launched itself at the swordsman. With a sinking feeling, Sanji cursed every god he could remember and ran towards the dark tunnel.


	10. The turning of the tide

Sanji was beginning to fear he might not make it

The sun had already risen to a high point in the sky when he stumbled out of the dark tunnel, disoriented and gasping for breath. The crimson cloud that spread before his eyes was very slowly turning grey while the world grew less and less solid with every step he took. Now, as he ran towards the ship, with the wind howling in his ears, he could feel his knees starting to buckle and his ankles go numb. A cold hand gripped his heart as he realized that if he fell now, he wouldn't have the strength to get back up.

He pushed the thought to the back of his exhausted mind and ran on. The waves of the coming tide had smoothed out his footprints on the shoreline and were now lapping around his shoes. The soft splashing sound made him aware that he was veering into the water and as a small current sucked the sand from under his feet he felt himself sway and lose balance. For a second, his head reeled in pain and a flash of red blurred his vision again. The sea rose up dangerously close to him before he hissed a curse and steadied himself. He was supposed to be Straw Hats' best swimmer. He would be the laughing stock of the entire crew if he drowned in knee-deep water. Luffy deserved better. Not to mention Nami and Robin.

A large shadow swam into his line of sight, snapping him back to the present. The Going Merry's silhouette looked almost dejected, all alone on the beach with only a couple of seagulls for company, pecking at the mussels on its exposed underside. Its figurehead's empty eyes seemed to regard him with slight disappointment when he ran up to the small ladder on the ship's side and stopped abruptly trying to regain his breath. As the landscape whirled around him, he could hear a gentle voice floating in the wind.

_I missed you. It's lonely out here._

"What the…"?

Sanji froze on the spot, staring at the figurehead in bewilderment. He was clearly losing his mind; the ship could not have just spoken to him. He spun around but as far as he could tell the beach was empty.

Another painful pang in the back of his head made him stumble as he leaned against the solid wood waiting for the wave of nausea to pass. The seals on his clothing flapped softly when they came in contact with the hull. Slowly, the world returned to normal and the soft voice faded away.

Sanji rubbed his temples and started climbing the ladder dismissing the incident altogether. The spirit must have messed him up worse than he thought but mysterious voices in his head were now the least of his problems. He jumped onto the deck and shot towards the meeting room almost tearing the door off its hinges as he rummaged around every bag and cupboard cursing himself for not bothering to organize everything they had bought on the island before all hell broke loose. Finally, he found what he was looking for.

It squished under his fingers.

Sanji sighed as he looked down at the crumpled object in his hand. It would have to do. After all, beggars can't be choosers.

* * *

Zoro was losing and losing badly.

He was vaguely aware of his muscles screaming in protest as he dodged another attack but the cold emanating from the creature had already numbed his limbs to such a degree that he barely noticed the pain anymore. He raised his swords to block the claws threatening to dig into his side and was met with another earth-shattering scream. He winced as the sound tore at his eardrums and sank to his knees wondering if he hadn't overshot it when he promised Sanji fifteen minutes. He silently hoped that if he got turned before the stupid cook was able to make it here, he would at least have the common sense to run instead of engaging in a pointless fight.

The creature let out another howl and slashed at him again. Zoro ducked out of the way milliseconds before the claw aiming for his chest collided against a column and cracked it in half. He swerved to the right and released the blades in a sharp whirlwind. The spirit hissed at the swords ripping into its arm but didn't even bother to change direction to avoid his next blow. As he pushed forward, desperately trying to make it retreat, Zoro swore. The blessing on his katana was either wearing off or his opponent was beginning to get used to it. Neither were good signs.

The monster in front of him suddenly stopped its advance and raised its head to the ceiling. Thick, black mist slowly began to seep from its clothes and coagulate around it. The light in the cavern paled as dark shadows flowed away from the surviving pillars. Zoro's eyes darted frantically around the increasingly darkening space, trying to guess where the next attack would come from, when cold, stronger than he had ever felt in his entire life, pierced through him. He gasped in pain, Wadou clattering to the ground, and turned to face the monster that was now floating in the air perfectly still. The crimson eyes widened as its face locked into a rictus grin of pure sadistic delight.

In the unexpected, deafening silence Zoro considered the thought that his legendary luck had finally out on him.

"Great… Now what?"

The spirit lunged forward.

He felt his heart skip a beat as he forced his numb body to move but that half-second was all the spirit needed to wrap its withered fingers around his forearm. Sharp, intense pain exploded in his shoulder. He flinched back, trying to wrestle away from the spirit's death grip and brought Kitetsu down on the clawed arm but he could already feel his strength waning and his arm stopped responding. Yubashiri fell out of his grasp as an uncomfortable prickling sensation spread through his shoulder to his fingertips. Almost afraid of what he would find, Zoro peered down to see his skin turned coal black.

His right arm was now completely petrified.

The long winded curse never reached his lips as the creature's fingers let go of his paralyzed limb and went for his throat. With his free arm, he managed one last attack and staggered back, feeling his right side rapidly going numb. With a sickening crack the spirit cocked its canine head to the side, its red eyes observing him intently. Zoro felt his blood boil when he realized the wretched thing was just going to toy with him now. With his balance so severely compromised, it could finally stop floating around the cave dodging his attacks. It could just sit back, relax and watch him squirm.

He would be dead before he allowed that to happen.

Consumed by a wave of rage, he gripped his last remaining sword and launched himself towards the monster. The beginning of a battle cry rose in his throat.

It got violently cut short when something wiry and black slammed into him like a hurricane sending him flying into a stone pillar.

Zoro groaned feeling the cavern spin around him like some hellish merry-go-round. His left arm was now trapped under his body making getting up again even more difficult. Through a cloud of pain he distinguished a tall, lithe figure standing in the middle of the cavern right in front of the floating creature. Sanji's blue eyes gave him a concerned look and widened slightly when they settled on his petrified limb. A shadow crossed the cook's pale features as his lips parted in an exasperated smile.

"You… just really don't know… when to give up… do you?"

His voice came out in short gasps. Zoro raised his head from the floor, trying to focus on him and felt his stomach twist at the sight of his crewmate. The clouded eyes were still giving him that annoyed look like Zoro had just spilled sake on the kitchen table but his face, white as a sheet, was locked in a mask of pain and exhaustion. The cook seemed to be fighting for every breath and Zoro could see his knees trembling like they were about to give out. Unable to do anything else, he felt himself returning the mocking smile.

"Took you long enough, shitty cook. You said ten minutes."

Sanji let out a painful cough masquerading as a laugh.

"You said fifteen, remember? Don't make promises you can't keep."

He turned away from him and faced the spirit still looking at them with that sadistic smile. Fighting the pain and the numbness Zoro struggled to his feet and looked around in search of his swords even though he wasn't entirely sure whether they would be of any use. The spirit had easily defeated them when he was in top shape and now, with a petrified arm, there was pretty much nothing he could do but flail about until his whole body became encased in marble. Inside, he cursed, wondering why the hell Sanji had bothered to come back at all. He was clearly in no condition to fight and there was absolutely no point in them both dying here.

He stopped his search when he saw the cook take a shaky step forward and extend his right arm towards the creature as if presenting it with something. Peering closer, he could finally distinguish the small object in the cook's hand.

It was an onigiri.

Zoro blinked. The small white and green object the cook was holding remained unchanged.

He rubbed his eyes and blinked again.

For a second, he could swear he had gone mad or at least Sanji had. Zoro stared at his companion in mute astonishment as he took another step closer to the spirit and raised the rice ball higher, his hand shaking ever so slightly. His blue eyes were staring right into the blood-red sockets and Zoro felt his heart drop to his feet when he realized it was costing Sanji every ounce of his strength to just stand upright. If the spirit decided to attack now, he wouldn't even have the chance to move out of the way before the claws ripped him apart. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to run forward and drag him away from the creature.

The grin on the monster's cracked lips faltered.

Slowly, almost as if it was moving through water, the creature raised an arm and reached towards Sanji. Zoro felt his nails dig into his palms as the long crooked claws hovered only a couple of centimeters away from the cook's neck, then moved to the round object wrapped in nori resting on his open palm. The bony fingers, now almost resembling a normal, though very thin hand, hesitantly closed around the small snack and brought it to the spirit's lips. The burning red eyes stared at the object for a while, then looked back at Sanji with an unreadable expression. The cook gave the creature a slight nod. From where he was standing, Zoro could see him crossing the fingers on his left hand.

The creature's yellow teeth bit into the small rice ball.

The dark mist floating around the cavern grew even further.

Something between a wheeze and a choked sob erupted from the creature's throat as the last remnants of the onigiri disappeared in its mouth. Its body shifted and shrank, slowly regaining the size of a regular person. Frayed doctor's garments floated in the air when Aron Fellman's dark shadow advanced towards Sanji, still frozen in place with his right hand extended in front of him. The spirit's gaunt face twisted, its cracked lips muttering something unintelligible. As the air around the cavern crackled ominously again, Zoro felt the hair at the back of his neck stand straight.

"What are you doing, dumbass?! Get away from there!"

The panicked cry left his lips at the same time as the spirit's fingers wrapped themselves around Sanji's wrist pulling him into the black mist and out of Zoro's sight.

* * *

Sanji had never felt so tired.

His legs seemed to have completely given out when the spirit grabbed hold of his hand but now he wasn't sure if there was even a floor to stand on. The world around him crashed into pitch black and he was suddenly overcome with a strange sensation of weightlessness. He heard Zoro screaming something at his back but the swordsman's voice was quickly drowned out by a choir of hoarse whispers coming from every direction. His head throbbed in agony as light flooded his eyes and a myriad of sounds and colors exploded before him.

_A group of children were running down a sandy road playing a disorganized game of tag. One of them, the tallest of the group, with milky blue eyes turned away from the rest and looked straight at him._

Sanji tried to close his eyes but his lids refused to obey. For a second he wondered if he even had a corporeal body anymore before another flash hit him.

_A large group of people had gathered on the beach, waving goodbye to a tall, lanky teenager. Behind him, a marine ship rocked on the waves._

Sanji felt a painful stab as the world reeled again. This time, the vision dissolved into an incoherent mess of steel, fire, and screams. He smelt gunpowder and heard the unmistakable roar of a raging sea. Scenes of one bloody carnage after another flashed before him and with them came despair, fear and utter hopelessness. Somewhere, at the back of his mind, the marine anthem played, somber and hollow. He saw a mangled body of a pirate splayed on a rack, heard a child's terrified scream in the distance. A pale marine standing amidst dead bodies looked up from his blood-stained hands and stared at him with dead eyes. The innocence of the child playing tag was long gone.

_The end justifies the means._

The phrase rang through his mind chanted by a thousand different voices. The battlefields in front of him blew to pieces to be replaced by a vision of the shores of Stillwater. A scarred man stepped out of a boat welcomed by a cheering crowd. His face bore a slight smile but the hollow eyes looked right past them. As the sounds and colors melted into another blinding cacophony, Sanji heard the laughter of children again.

If he had control over his body, he would have kicked himself.

He saw the scenes of Aron Fellman's trial rush past his eyes as he realized, with a sinking feeling, how badly he had misjudged the man. He had been a fool to assume that a simple act of kindness would be enough to placate his desire for vengeance and he had been an even bigger fool to assume that the ordeal they both shared had somehow given him an insight into his mind. White hot fury coarsed through him as he desperately tried to break free from the spirit's hold but every effort was met with another flash of light and head splitting pain.

Was this what the others had felt right before they were turned into stone?

Was this the fate that awaited Zoro as well?

Goddamnit, he couldn't protect anybody.

The world slowly swirled into darkness again. Sanji hung in the empty void, too tired to think and too dazed to block the spirit's whispers around him. He felt a metallic taste at the back of his mouth and let out a soft bitter chuckle.

He was going to be the first person ever to die with someone else's life flashing before his eyes.

_…give me… give me…_

The hoarse pleading returned once again. The dark shadow materialized itself in front of him as his long, cracked fingers reached for his chest where he could still hear the seals softly fluttering. Sanji's thoughts went back to the swordsman still stuck somewhere in the cavern. With that petrified arm, he would be no match for the spirit and if he got turned as well, there would be no one left to figure out how to stop the curse. The longer he kept Aron Fellman fixated upon himself, the longer Zoro had to finally see there was nothing more he could do and get away from the place.

He let out a soft sigh of resignation. He had tried everything in his power and he had failed spectacularly. He remembered the soaring feeling in his gut when he had come up with the idea of giving the spirit food to comfort his agony and smiled bitterly. Maybe Zoro was right all along.

Maybe his soft heart would ruin him.

The blinding pain in his head was beginning to tear at his sanity. A vision of grey rocks and an endless blue ocean floated before him accompanied by a sensation of blistering heat and the cries of seagulls. This stomach churned in hunger again as the spirit's voice rang in his ears.

_…give… me…_

"I already gave you an onigiri that was too good for you." Sanji looked straight at the floating figure that was still reaching for him with haunted eyes. "What was the point of showing me that? To prove to me that you started out as a nice guy?"

The spirit croaked out something unintelligible and moved closer. Sanji felt a wave of nausea rise in his throat as he spoke again.

"Is that what you did to all of your victims? Make them experience your pain until they broke down?" He fought back the dizziness and kept his eyes locked on the spirit's pale orbs. "Well, I got news for you! I already went through all of that and I'm still here. Go ahead, do your worst!"

The island flashed in his head again sending a pang of burning pain through his temples. Sanji released a long shaky breath trying to clear his thoughts and concentrate on something else. He just had to hold on long enough for Zoro to get out of the cave. A tiny voice at the back of his mind softly reminded him that he had no way of knowing that but it was quickly ignored as Aron Fellman's next words made his heart stand still.

_… was wrong… done wrong… give me…_

Sanji felt his eyes widen as the half-hushed murmurs took on a completely different meaning. He stared at the spirit in shock feeling his whole world slowly unravel. Somewhere in his mind, the last piece of the puzzle finally clicked into place.

_…forgive me…_

The two words echoed in the oily darkness. The visions of hunger and pain slowly melted away as the spirit reached a thin skeletal arm towards him. Pale blue eyes bore through him in a silent plea as Sanji opened his mouth and said.

"Oh…"


	11. The rising sun

If there was indeed a God, Sanji thought, he was probably laughing at him right now.

He had never been a very spiritual person, to say the least. Back at the Baratie, he had seen the staff pray, or actually, curse at a thousand different deities, some of them with very colorful names and backstories. Among the Straw Hats, nobody even mentioned the topic aloud except when they had landed on Skypea and Nami had been horrified at Zoro's lack of belief in anything but himself. Even though he suspected that the navigator's display of fervent devotion was more of a cautionary measure than anything else, it got him thinking about his own beliefs for a while before all hell broke loose and his spiritual quest faded into the background. After the whole ordeal with Enel was over, he still wasn't sure where he stood or even if it mattered at all. He was way too used to dealing with what was in front of him and leaving less practical stuff for later consideration anyway. He didn't have to take a stand if he didn't wish to. After all, what was the chance of anything important ever depending on such an insignificant detail?

Right now, he was willing to offer his soul to the Devil himself as his exhausted mind browsed through passages of half-remembered scripture scattered all over his memory. Maybe somewhere, he would stumble over a ready-made answer for what the hell he was supposed to do.

The warped, otherworldly space seemed to hold its breath in anticipation, waiting for a reply he could not give. The spirit's eyes were still fixed upon him and even the whispers floating in the air had stopped. He felt the cold fingers beginning to wrap around his wrist again when he instinctively flinched and pulled his arm away.

Aron Fellman's face contorted in a silent scream. Sanji had a few seconds to regret the involuntary gesture before the darkness surrounding him was obliterated by light and scorching heat.

_A man, no, a mere skeleton covered with skin lay on a bare grey rock face down. He was covered in sores and burns from the sun and a myriad of insects and small birds feasted on the caked blood on his back. Each jab at the exposed skin drew a short gasp out of the prone form. A small lump of moss, on which teeth marks were clearly visible was tightly clutched in his fist. As the man slowly dragged his bleeding arm along the rocks to take another bite out of it, he let out a long, hollow moan._

A shudder travelled along Sanji's spine as he struggled to close his eyes in a desperate attempt to block out the vision. However, the darkness behind his eyelids did not spare him from the horrible sound flowing out of the dying man or the agonizing pangs knotting his suddenly empty stomach. He felt moist, sandy earth coating his mouth and tongue and fought the intense desire to spit out what he knew could not be there. A high pitched wheeze caught his attention followed by a gagging sound and the weak thrashing of a body on the grey rocks.

Aron Fellman was choking to death.

A force, stronger than anything he could fight against, compelled him to open his eyes again. The birds, scared by the condemned man's sudden movement, flew away to rest on the nearby bush as if they were used to the situation and were merely waiting for their prey to stop struggling. The man's dull eyes, now yellow and bloodshot were wide open and reflected nothing but pure, mad terror. A gnawed, grey tongue rolled out of his mouth as long, claw-like fingers scratched the rocks around his body while still clutching the small lump of moss as if it was the only thing keeping him alive. Somewhere at the back of his throat began a long, uninterrupted croak.

If the spirit had released him at that moment he wouldn't have been able to move or even look away. His whole body felt like it was already encased in marble like the rest of his crew. He found himself helplessly staring as the man's terrified expression became a frozen rictus and the death rattle slowly ceased. The crushed clump of moss oozed out of the limp fist. The birds, that remained perched on the thin branches of the bush, watching the scene with bored indifference took flight one by one and reclaimed their positions around the body becoming particularly interested in the eyes and the lumpy, exposed tongue.

"Enough…"

The words burned like fire in his mind but he could only muster a hoarse whisper. A treacherous little voice reminded him that he had almost ended up like this as well. A fleeting vision of his own dead face made his blood run cold before pure, unabashed anger took over.

"Goddamnit, I said that's enough!" He took a step backwards as he closed his eyes trying to shake off the spirit's illusion. "I know you suffered! I know you died in terrible pain! That is NOT a fucking ticket to redemption!"

The islet faded away to be replaced by pitch blackness. For a moment Sanji remained motionless, horrified by the words that had just come out of his mouth. He might have just signed Zoro's death warrant, not to mention destroyed any chance of ever seeing his friends again. The last thing he wanted was to anger the spirit even further now that he had sort of managed to get him on his side.

His rational part admonished him for hesitating. For the last forty-eight hours, he had wanted nothing more than to find a way to stop it all and now that it was finally laid before him, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Whether he believed in divine punishment or not, the broken man before him was still a criminal and his deeds still made Sanji sick when he thought about them. He didn't deserve the horrible death he had just witnessed but mercy, not to mention forgiveness, was a different deal altogether.

He looked into the spirit's eyes, silently praying that he couldn't read his mind. He had to be rational about this. He had to find some way to talk him into letting him go and release the crew from their curse. Maybe, if he played his cards right, he could even convince him to leave the island of Stillwater alone.

He was still figuring out his strategy when another vision ripped the darkness apart and sent him careening into a world of screams and fire.

_A crowd of islanders had gathered in front of a house engulfed in flames. Some of them were carrying torches; some of them just held large bottles plugged up with strands of cloth. They stood there with a strange impassivity on their stony faces watching the shadows inside the house run around frantically looking for an exit. As a female voice desperately pleaded for help from one of the upper windows, a figure in the crowd calmly brought a flame to the cloth peeking out of the neck of his bottle and threw it in her direction. It collided against the wall, not three centimeters away from her face in a ball of bright orange fire. With a terrified scream, the woman darted back into the blazing inferno._

_Somebody finally managed to make their way out of the front door coughing and patting at their clothes. An elderly man and woman stumbled down the steps. Two young men half dragged, half carried a wispy blond woman in a servant outfit out of the house as she wailed in agony, screaming a name that got lost in the roaring of the fire. The crowd hurled insults their way but did not prevent them from leaving and getting lost in the night as the house creaked and collapsed behind them._

A stream of disconnected words flowed through Sanji's stunned mind.

_….mother… father… family home… even the servants…_

The spirit whispered something else but the rest of his mutterings dissolved in the crackling flames. Understanding dawned on Sanji at the same time as the voices of the crowd finally became clear in his ears.

"Liars!"

"You knew! You had to know!"

"You were all in this together!"

"Burn in Hell, all of you!"

The vision of the burning house melted away gradually as disconnected scenes flashed before him. He found himself looking at a group of people gathered in a temple, not daring to look anybody in the eye. He saw empty streets on a market day, saw people spying on one another from behind closed curtains and peepholes. A lonely figure walked along the beach, eyes fixed on a tiny speck of land on the horizon. After a while, it hung its head in shame and walked away.

Sanji plunged into darkness again, dazed and numb from the revelation. He had never given much thought to what had happened on the island after Aron Fellman's trial, he had been way too busy trying to figure out how to beat him. Now, the picture that unfurled in his mind presented a much more unpleasant landscape. The man had not just committed a horrible crime; he had poisoned the minds of the entire island. There wasn't a heart that did not grow a little darker after what had happened thirty years ago. He had brought out the worst in every person living there and when it culminated in him being marooned on that nameless islet, the sheer horror of what they had done had driven the islanders mad and paranoid of one another. Who knew how long it would take them to get back to normal? Especially when a reminder of their past sins came back to haunt them every year.

Sanji raised his head to find the spirit still floating before him, milky blue eyes staring into his very soul. The idea of one man doing this much harm to an entire island, not to mention his friends made white hot rage coarse through his veins. The idea of having to negotiate with him for their lives burned him even more until one single thought arose in his mind bringing all of his deliberations to a screeching halt.

None of this mattered anymore. Whatever eternal damnation he was hoping was in store for the man in the afterlife, the aftermath of his execution in the world of the living had already been much, much worse.

He knew what he had to do.

The realization came like a punch in the gut as he felt his stomach twist and his palms erupt in cold sweat. He couldn't do this; he couldn't make this choice for an entire island. It was not his place, it didn't feel right. Even if the inhabitants of Stillwater ever found it in their hearts to forgive Fellman, they definitely would not have sent some random pirate cook they had met less than a week ago to carry out their will. He was simply not the right person.

Usopp's boastful remark from two days ago rang in his head.

_Not the right person… but the right words…_

Sanji felt his lips split into a bitter smile at the memory of the marksman's smug face. If his friend had been right about that, he would undoubtedly do a much better job than Sanji could even hope to. He could not be more out of his element. He lacked Robin's knowledge of the human nature or Usopp's imagination. He was good at two things, kicking stuff and cooking it later and neither was an option right now. His mind flailed helplessly as he grasped at the remnants of every epic tale he had ever heard the marksman spin. In the long, crushing silence, he remembered the only thing Zeff had ever praised him for.

He was apparently really good at improvising.

"Hear my words, pitiful shadow!" He made a tentative pause to look at the spirit that remained perfectly still, his bony fingers reaching towards him, frozen in midair. "I, Blackleg Sanji have born witness to your pain and suffering. By the power invested in me by the holy men of Stillwater, I hereby declare your sins against them forgiven. Go now, and trouble these people no more."

His voice echoed in the endless void. Sanji discreetly crossed his fingers behind his back cursing himself for how corny his speech had sounded. There was no way that was going to work; his plan had more holes in it than a sieve. Nobody had invested him with anything to begin with. The spirit was bound to sense that he was lying. He should have made it sound more convincing, he should have at least used the man's name. Out of all the desperate moves he had ever pulled, this had to be the stupidest of them all.

The spirit gave out a long soft sigh.

The withered lips parted in a genuinely happy smile that looked almost unnatural on the ghastly visage. Sanji held his breath as he saw flesh flow back into his gaunt face and his eyes lose the dull ghostly sheen to become bright blue again. The crooked silhouette slowly straightened up and walked closer to reveal no longer a walking corpse but the scarred man he had seen disembark on Stillwater in one of his visions. Warm fingers wrapped around his wrist as Aron Fellman opened his mouth to utter two single words.

_Thank… you…_

The darkness around him seemed to acquire a life of its own as it rushed towards him like a thick black ocean and swallowed him whole. At the corner of his eye, Sanji saw the spirit close his eyes, take a step back and dissolve in a grey mist before his head exploded in pain again and a thousand images and sensations flashed through his mind in a frenzied kaleidoscope. The children playing tag on a sandy road waved at him and beckoned him closer. A tall young girl with brown eyes and flowers in her hair gave him a bashful look. The marine ship rocking on the waves etched itself against the blue horizon and for a second its figurehead morphed into the Going Merry's. Panic gripped Sanji as he realized that he could no longer tell which memories where his and which belonged to the spirit.

Somewhere at the back of his mind, he heard his own voice humming Zeff's short verse.

_Hush now my dear and close your eyes…darkness will end and the sun will rise…_

Memories of the Baratie flooded his mind as he grabbed them like a lifeline in a weak attempt to hold on to his identity. The faces of Zeff, Patty and Carne reeled in his head before they got replaced by one familiar grinning mug hanging upside down in front of him partially obscured by a large straw hat. He heard Usopp's laughter and Nami's annoyed grunt as she smacked him upside the head. Robin's dark eyes regarded him with a warm look while her hands absentmindedly petted Chopper's fur. He smiled back at the fleeting vision wishing he could still see them again.

God, he was so tired.

_…drift off to dreamland and have no fear…_

A flash of green hair swam in front of him and the unmistakable smell of sake and weapon oil filled his nostrils. Zoro's annoyed expression was the last coherent memory that crossed his mind before darkness engulfed it all.

_…no one will harm you while I am here…_

* * *

Zoro was getting tired of waiting.

The dark mist hanging in the air that had claimed the cook nearly ten minutes ago had proven to be completely impervious to everything he could throw at it. Granted, everything he could throw at it were mostly one armed slashes with Kitetsu which would be hardly effective even against regular mist but as the clock ticked he found himself becoming more and more agitated. At one point, he had even decided to damn it all to hell and just run into it blindly but he had just wound up on the other side of the cavern.

Now, he sat with his back against a stone pillar wondering about his next course of action. Going back to village was useless but he certainly wasn't accomplishing anything by just staying here. He scratched his head in frustration. Walking out of the cave without Sanji felt wrong. Even though he knew the cook would understand if he left him behind in a hopeless situation, he could not help but delay his departure a little longer as his eyes scanned the thick mist in search of a tall slender figure with a cigarette in its mouth. At least with the others he still had the marble statues to confirm that they were still in one piece. Sanji seemed to have disappeared altogether and the longer the cook stayed inside the impenetrable darkness the more he felt like tearing it to pieces with his own hands if he had to.

He hated the feeling of being the only one of the Straw Hats left alive.

A sharp tingling sensation shot down his petrified arm. Zoro winced in pain and stared at his unmoving limb as small spider cracks broke out all over the smooth surface. The shiny black stone cracked a little as he tentatively moved his arm; then crumbled away exposing his skin and part of his torn sleeve. Not entirely believing his eyes, Zoro slowly raised his right hand in front of his face flexing the slightly numb fingers.

"What… the hell…?"

A cold wind blew between the marble pillars.

The mist shifted and coiled on itself. Zoro barely had the time to get out of the way before it whirled in a great black column and shot towards the skylight like a typhoon disappearing in the blue sky above. He could swear he heard a voice in the deafening roar and even saw a distorted face on its wavering surface but he immediately stopped paying attention when his eyes settled on what it had left behind.

Sanji stood in the middle of the cavern, pale and unmoving. His head was turned towards the cavern's ceiling that the spirit had just escaped through and he didn't react even when Zoro called out to him. The glassy blue eyes bore a lost and disoriented look. As he was preparing to call out again, Zoro could see him sway a little.

Something clicked inside him compelling him to rush forward and grab the cook by his shoulders. Sanji didn't even flinch as his gaze remained fixed on the skylight, oblivious to everyone and everything around him. Zoro got the uneasy feeling that his hold was the only thing keeping his crewmate on his feet right now.

"Oi! Have you gone deaf or something?" He felt panic creep in his voice as he shook the blond cook in his arms and saw his head loll helplessly from side to side. "Damn it, dartbrow, talk to me! What the hell happened in there? What did you do?!"

"I'm sorry Miriam."

Sanji's voice came out so faint and raspy that Zoro almost didn't hear it. For a second, he just stood there completely baffled, fingers still digging into the unresisting shoulders. His stunned expression was quickly replaced with an alarmed one when the cook's blue eyes slid shut and he collapsed against him.

"O…Oi! Hold on!" He found himself losing balance as they both slid to the ground. "Don't fucking do this to me now! Pull yourself together! Love cook!"

He gave the slender frame another vigorous shake only now noticing how cold the cook's skin felt against his. He almost didn't dare to breathe as his hands fumbled around Sanji's wrists desperately looking for a pulse. A sinking feeling settled in his stomach as he realized he didn't even know what to do if he didn't find one. In his head, he cursed himself for never paying attention whenever Chopper went on about medical training or even basic first aid. He knew how to deal with wounds but this was on a completely different level for him. His arms wrapped around the unresponsive cook trying to at least keep him warm.

"Come on, curly brow, give me a sign!" He frantically patted the cook's pale face trying to evoke some kind of response but the blonde's head just hung limp against his shoulder. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong! Sanj..!"

A small stone hit him on the head.

Zoro looked up only to have a stream a dust and sand cloud his vision. He coughed and frantically scrubbed his face as his eyes caught sight of a humongous crack slowly spreading along the cavern's ceiling starting from the skylight. Some of the pillars creaked and wobbled, no longer able to hold the weight of the cavern. As he looked around, a small part of the ceiling came loose and crashed to the floor.

Zoro rolled his eyes.

"Great! That's exactly what I needed."


	12. The fading shadow

The first thing Kara was aware of was that she was cold.

It was a strange feeling, completely different to the one that would sometimes come over her when the fire died out in the middle of a snappy winter night. It rose up from the inside, chilling the blood in her veins and making her feel like a slowly defrosting popsicle. Her eyes felt raw and tired as she blinked a couple of times to adjust to the faint light. Only then did she notice the white cloth covering her whole.

She felt a small tug of fear as she tried to shake her head in a weak attempt to throw it off. Her whole body felt like one of those crude wooden dolls whose joints creaked and splintered every time she tried to move them. The heavy cloth rustled slightly around her brown curls but remained where it was. The unsettling image of a white shroud drifted through her mind and the terrifying implications made her skin break out in goosebumps. Feeling the panic growing stronger, she shook her head again and pulled frantically at the white linen but only managed to get it tangled between her fingers.

Someone was holding her.

Kara stopped struggling as she noticed strong slender arms wrapped around her in a protective cocoon. The body pressed tightly against her back, released a shaky breath and gently softened the grip. A pale, freckled arm extended in front of her and tore the sheet from her head in one smooth movement. Bright morning light spilled around them as a small cloud of dust flew up in the air.

Kara sneezed and batted at the grey fluff settling on her face. The shaky breaths of her protector gradually settled down to be replaced by relieved laughter.

"So they made it after all…"

The voice above her was beginning to sound familiar. Kara looked up into dazed brown eyes and squinted a bit when strands of long red hair fell into her face. The navigator of the Straw Hat pirates gave her a wide smile and turned around to look at a neatly arranged row of figures covered in white cloth, still struggling to break free.

Behind them, somebody let out a short gasp followed by a scream.

* * *

Zoro couldn't remember running so fast in his life.

The further side of the cavern had almost entirely collapsed when he finally managed to struggle to his feet, coughing as stone dust filled the air. The skylight above him was beginning to crumble as well and sunlight was flooding the space around them. For a second, Zoro considered escaping through the rapidly widening crack on the ceiling but quickly realized he would be crushed to death before he could even try. Especially with an unconscious Sanji in tow.

He crouched next to the cook lying motionless at his feet and gave him another hard shake.

"Come on dartbrow, no time for sleeping! We have to go! Now!"

Sanji's head just rolled to the side, cold clammy forehead coming to rest against his fingers. Another marble column cracked to their right, wobbled unsteadily and then collapsed in a white cloud of dust. A large portion of the ceiling crashed less than five steps away from them.

"Shit…!"

The floor vibrated under him as the last column snapped under the weight of what remained of the cavern. Cursing again, Zoro bent down, picked up Sanji's limp frame and ran towards the exit feeling the walls beginning to cave in behind him. He managed to duck inside the dark tunnel just before a large piece of the ceiling smashed into the ground sealing the room away forever.

He ran blindly in the dark, trying to remember if the tunnel split up at any point but his memory was failing him. When the green wall of ivy and the smell of the sea greeted him as he turned another corner, he could have sung in joy. Warm morning sun blinded his eyes as he stumbled out of the cave, almost slipping on the sand, moist from the coming tide. For a few seconds he just stood there, gasping for breath before focusing his attention on the dead weight slumped over his shoulder.

He kneeled down on the sand letting the unresponsive body slide off him. His hands instinctively caught the back of the cook's head and as his fingers sank in the blond hair, he felt that unnatural cold still lingering on his skin. As gently as he could, he lowered him on the ground, his hands still awkwardly squeezing the pale wrists searching for a beat under the skin.

"You better not be dead, shitty cook…" He grabbed his shoulder and shook him again but Sanji's body felt like a rag doll under his touch. "Luffy's going to be pissed! Who's going to feed him huh? Have you thought of that, you selfish asshole?"

His eyes scanned the ghost-pale face desperately seeking out any reaction but the cook remained still, his expression eerily peaceful in the morning sun. In the deafening silence, broken only by the sound of the waves and the faraway cries of the gulls, Zoro was acutely aware of how alone and far away they were from any form of civilization. His hands gave up on Sanji's wrists and slid towards his neck as he found himself beginning to panic. He had smashed his left hand against a wall while running away and his right hand was still numb from being petrified. Maybe that's why he couldn't feel anything under the paper white skin. Maybe that's why…

A faint, treacherous memory resurfaced in his mind like a cloaked dagger.

_I couldn't do shit to prevent it! Don't I get a second chance? Don't I get to fix my mistake?_

Sanji's voice rang in his mind and with it came a cold, stunning realization that paralyzed him on the spot. His own voice, however, made him feel slightly sick.

_All I'm asking is that you don't throw your life away just because you feel like you have to prove something…_

For a moment, he couldn't breathe or think. His hands pressed against Sanji's throat almost as if they were trying to squeeze the pulse out of his skin. He shook his head furiously trying to dismiss the thought but the idea had taken hold of him and would not let him go.

No way, Sanji wasn't that much of an idiot. He knew that the crew would tear him to pieces if the ever tried to pull something like that.

The intrusive memory dug into him like a blade. He remembered the cook's expression when he shouted the words at him like a declaration of war. He had been angry, yes, but he had been angry with himself. It was the kind of blind rage that arose from defeat, impotence and bitter disappointment in his own abilities.

Shit, he should have taken him out after all.

"Goddamnit, love cook! Wake up and tell me you're not this stupid!"

He could feel the anger turning to dread in his own voice as he clasped Sanji's shoulders and pulled him upright. The cook's body followed his impulse; head hanging to the side, then fell limply against him like a marionette with cut strings. The warm rays of the sun lingered on them but his crewmate's skin remained cold as ice and a slight hue of purplish blue was beginning to appear on the closed eyelids. Muttering curses under his breath, Zoro took Sanji's hands between his and began to rub them, in a last attempt to restore some heat into him.

Was he even breathing anymore?

The thought struck him like lightning as he remembered Chopper going on about CPR some time ago. He remembered shrugging and walking away, never listening to the whole conversation. Now, as his memory frantically collected bits and pieces of it, he found himself floundering, torn between duty and aversion. Slowly, almost afraid of what he would find, he leaned over the cook listening intently to any sound coming from the blue tinged lips.

Sanji's eyes snapped open.

He shot up mechanically like a toy on a spring, his gaze wild and unseeing. Zoro's trained reflexes were the only thing that stopped their foreheads from crashing into one another. The cook's whole body convulsed as if a sudden jolt of electricity coarsed through the slender frame. For a brief moment, Zoro froze, unable to understand what had just happened but as Sanji swayed and began to sink to the ground again he instinctively grabbed his shoulders to steady him.

"Oi! Say something, you bastard! Are you all right?"

He gave the cook's body a slight shake. The wandering blue eyes blinked in a daze and looked in his direction but immediately slipped closed. The cracked lips opened but no sound came out of them except a ragged, wheezy breath. Zoro winced slightly as he noticed the dried blood caked at the corners of his mouth.

"No, no, no, don't you dare…! Stay with me!" He patted the pale cheeks hard enough for his fingers to leave a slight mark on the almost translucent skin. "Cook? Can you hear me?"

He snapped his fingers in front of Sanji's face but the cook just slowly blinked again, his eyes beginning to drift away from him. They travelled over the sand and the beach almost as if they were seeing them for the first time and Zoro got the sinking feeling that the person he was clutching in an iron grip might not have entirely returned from the collapsed cavern.

"Cook?" Zoro paused as he scrutinized the vacant stare. "Sanji?"

That got the reaction he wanted. The blue eyes widened a bit, blinked a couple of times and focused on his face. The mist in his gaze dissipated a little as the cracked lips parted again and this time, they let out a single word.

"Zoro?"

The croaked whisper sounded like a choir of angels. Zoro felt the tension in his muscles melt away as he sagged back on the sand. Sanji was still looking at him, his eyes going back from his face to the cave entrance as if trying to connect the dots. Finally, they stopped darting around and settled on Zoro's right arm still clasped around his shoulder.

"Your arm…"

The whisper was slightly stronger now. Zoro followed his gaze, then looked back and gave him a reassuring nod.

"Yeah, it's fine now. Good as new."

"Then the others…"

Zoro nodded again.

"…are probably okay too, yes."

A spark of genuine, delirious joy lit up the blue eyes. Sanji's shoulders slumped in relief, a wide, toothy grin spreading over his face. An exhausted sigh escaped his lips as he swayed and fell back on the wet sand, limbs splayed out like a star fish. Zoro shot up from his position, alarmed by the unexpected movement only to hear the cook's laughter floating in the air. The big dumb smile still plastered on his face was slowly starting to resemble Luffy's.

He sat back with an annoyed scowl and flicked a random pebble in his direction.

"Stupid cook, don't black out on me like that! Next time you pass out in a collapsing cavern, I'm leaving your ass to be crushed by rocks! Do you hear me?!"

The cook turned his head on the sand and looked at him confused. His blissful grin faltered slightly.

"Huh? It collapsed behind us?" He propped himself up to look at the intact green wall of ivy, then back to the stone dust on Zoro's clothes and face. "How dramatically convenient…"

"Look who's talking, idiot!" Zoro glowered at him, his eyes still lingering over the blood clotted around the cook's mouth and earlobes. "Are you all right?"

Sanji nodded weakly and closed his eyes. He raised a shaking hand and patted his breast pockets looking for the pack of cigarettes probably lying somewhere back in the dark tunnel. Finding nothing, he let out a soft sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose with a pained grimace.

"I'm fine, moss-head…"

The offhanded insult sounded slightly forced. Zoro frowned and leaned away from him leaving him space to breathe. Sanji's eyes were still shut tight as his bloodstained fingers settled on his temples massaging circles back and forth.

"Bullshit! You look like a Seaking just chewed you and spit you out."

Sanji didn't answer. His hands slid into the pockets of his torn pants still looking for the crumpled pack of cigarettes. Zoro's lips split into a slight grin as he added.

" _And_ you called me Miriam."

The woman's name made his eyes fly open again. For a second, his pale face twisted in guilt before he slid his knees to his chest and threw him a look of disdain.

"Like hell I did! Her loveliness and your ugly mug do not even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence."

"Whatever…" Zoro shrugged and flexed the fingers of his right arm trying to get rid of the unpleasant tingling sensation still haunting him. "Are you going to tell me what happened back there or not?"

Sanji turned away in silence. He looked almost ashamed to speak up but when he did, his voice lost the defiant ring from just a second ago and acquired a hollow, somber tone.

"I broke my promise to her."

Zoro blinked in puzzlement at the sudden change. He had almost expected the cook to gloat about banishing the spirit on his own but the utter defeat in his voice threw him completely off guard.

"What promise?"

Sanji remained silent, his eyes firmly locked on the greyish sand. The long pale fingers were still nervously playing with the paper seals and Zoro could not help but notice the skin under his fingernails was still purplish blue.

"You mean that thing with Kara's mother?" Zoro looked down at the silver chain with wooden tags still dangling from his neck. "Look, I don't know what happened in that cavern but it sure looked like divine punishment. If you believe in that sort of thing…"

"I forgave him…"

The words were a mumble, as if the very act of speaking them hurt. Zoro felt his eyes widen as he stared at the cook who was doing his best to avoid looking up at him.

"You did WHAT?"

Sanji closed his eyes. There was a brief moment of silence when he saw a dark shadow cross his face. For a while, he seemed lost in some kind of memory before his eyes opened again in mute determination as if he had decided that it was better to get it over with in one go.

"That's what he wanted. Not revenge, not even to complete his work, just forgiveness." He paused and looked up straight into Zoro's confused eyes. "I gave it to him, he left. End of story."

He blurted out the last words like they were stuck in his throat. His eyes held Zoro's gaze for exactly two seconds before he turned away again, looking like he had just confessed to an unspeakable crime. Zoro just continued to stare at him dumbfounded.

"Are you kidding me, love cook? It was that simple?" Faint surprise flickered in the blue eyes as Sanji nodded in silence. "How the hell did you manage that? You weren't even born here!"

Sanji shrugged and stroked a random paper seal on his sleeve, tracing around the intricate symbols with his fingers.

"Who says? I've got their holy seals all over me. That has to make me at least an honorary ambassador."

Zoro rolled his eyes at the hint of sadness in the cook's answer. For a while he just sat there in stunned silence before adding.

"Then… what about your dramatic entrance back there? What was the deal with the onigiri?"

"That was me being a fucking idiot!" Sanji gritted his teeth and ripped off a loose paper seal on his sleeve. "Serves me right! I thought I understood what he went through! I thought I could reach him…convince him somehow…" His voice trailed off before he shook his head and crumpled the seal in his hand. "It doesn't matter anymore. He's gone."

The bitterness in his voice made Zoro swallow his scathing remark. He looked up at the blue sky that the dark mist had dissolved in looking for any trace of the spirit but apart from the clouds of dust still floating in the air, nothing seemed to disturb the peaceful landscape of the overhanging cliff.

"Gone where?"

The cook just shook his head again. He seemed to consider his answer, then ran his fingers through his matted blond hair and leaned back on his hands.

"I don't know. Just… gone, I guess."

Zoro looked back at the green wall of ivy. The branches were rustling softly in the wind brushing against the cliff like a mane of uncombed green hair. He remembered the deathly cold wind emanating from behind them and the silence that reigned around when he first stood in front of the cave entrance. Now, the sun was warm on his skin and the gulls were crying in the sky but the dark hollow space behind the swaying leaves still gave him an unsettling feeling. It was like looking at a picture in which a tiny detail was slightly off.

He turned to Sanji who had managed to fish out a pack of cigarettes from a pocket and was now fidgeting with a crushed lighter.

"Are you sure?"

The cook didn't even look up, still fighting a losing battle with the lighter.

"Yeah…I felt him leave."

Zoro frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Sanji let out an irritated growl and hurled the useless lighter towards the cave. It smashed against the rock in a burst of stray sparks.

"I don't fucking know! Feel free to go back there and see for yourself! I'm going to check on the others."

He shoved the cigarettes into his breast pocket and rose up from the sand. Zoro saw him stumble over his feet, wince in pain and grab the left side of his head still crusted with dried blood. His right hand instinctively stretched out, searching for something to lean on but before Zoro could move, the cook managed to regain his balance on his own.

"Oi, can you even walk?"

Sanji slowly turned around. The blue eyes were suddenly clouded again as if the effort from standing up had taken all the energy out of him.

"Of course, seaweed head. I still have my legs, don't I?"

There was a shade of animosity in his tone but it died down in an instant as he took a shaky step forward and swayed dangerously. Rolling his eyes again, Zoro walked up to him, grabbed his arm and slung it around his shoulders.

Sanji froze. For a moment, he remained perfectly still as if considering the situation. He saw him hesitate, open his mouth and then shut it again. Finally, he allowed his muscles to relax as the blue eyes slid closed.

"Thank…"

"Yeah, yeah… Get a move on, curly brow!" Zoro shook his head and pulled Sanji forward. "Seriously, how did you allow a simple spirit to mess you up like that?"

Sanji's eyes cracked open as a smirk danced on his pale lips.

"This "simple shitty spirit" was about to turn you into a monument to the perpetually lost when I walked in." Zoro just let out an annoyed grunt and took another slightly larger step forward. Sanji gasped in pain but his smile spread even wider. "Maybe I should have just stayed back and watched you take care of it alone."

Zoro threw him an irritated look.

"Maybe you should have! We'd have had this mess solved in seconds and we'd be back already instead of me dragging you through this goddamned beach."

"Bullshit! You could barely stand!" Sanji's mocking laughter quickly turned into a sharp cough. "Admit it, moss-for brains! I saved your ass back there!"

Zoro sighed as he looked down at the cook's triumphant expression. This was going to be a very long trip.

"What do you want, a hand written thank you letter?"

Sanji didn't respond. At the corner of his eye, Zoro saw the smile vanish from his face. For a while, he just seemed to concentrate in putting one foot in front of the other before looking up at Zoro, his tone turning vaguely playful again.

"Well, you did haul me out of that cave. I say we're even."

Zoro nodded in silence. Sanji's eyes lingered on him for a bit, as if he was expecting him to say something else. When a wide grin spread across Zoro's face, he could see his expression change from surprised to annoyed again.

"What's so funny?"

"I just realized…" Zoro chuckled softly, pulling the cook's arm tighter around his shoulders. "You did it! You actually managed to talk this thing to death! Wait till Usopp hears about this!"

Sanji looked away. When he spoke again, his voice sounded unexpectedly grim.

"I hope he still can."


	13. All that remains

"Cook? Can you hear me?"

The swordsman's voice floated somewhere up above. Sanji groaned in pain and tried unsuccessfully to recall the fragmented conversation he had tried to maintain with Zoro since they started their shambling trip back to Stillwater. He vaguely remembered arguing about something pointless until the dull pain in his head overtook his senses and the gray sand and sky blurred together. Eventually, his companion's voice became a droning hum in the background punctuated only by random cries of gulls. Feeling his muscles giving out, he pushed on, trying not to think of the numbness in his feet. Being carried into the village like a child was not quite the triumphant entrance he had imagined.

"Yeah..." The answer came accompanied by an involuntary cough and a metallic taste in his mouth. "What was that? Speak up."

The swordsman's fingers dug into his left shoulder and gave him a vigorous shake. It took Sanji a couple of seconds to notice they had finally stopped walking.

"Are you listening to me, dartbrow? I said we're here."

"What…?"

Sanji raised his head, and drew in a sharp breath, temporarily blinded by the bright morning sun. The gray curtain that had fallen over him was slowly beginning to lift, replaced by vague shadows and blotches of color. He could feel the smell of wet leaves and smoke wafting through the air, a welcome change from the strong sea breeze. He blinked and squinted through the mist clouding his vision, finally becoming aware of their surroundings.

The first thing he noticed was the noise.

It was a loud, relentless river of ecstatic screams, mad laughter and uncontrolled weeping that blended into a meaningless cacophony in his ears. It came from every window, every open door and every corner of the little town. He felt the cobblestones shaking slightly as the shadows around him became the crowd gathering in the streets. A young woman darted by, almost knocking the swordsman down, followed by a couple of little boys and an elderly man grasping a long, bamboo cane. Sanji could not make out what they were talking about, but a single word reached his ears several times.

Alive.

The second thing he noticed was the lack of statues.

The little kid hugging the library wall that had upset Nami so much was gone, his silhouette, a pristine white against the graying stone. . A quick look around confirmed that all the other figures had disappeared as well, even though the people still swerved awkwardly when they ran, trying to avoid colliding with something no longer there. A thin white material similar to broken eggshells cracked under his feet when he took a hesitant step forward.

Nobody seemed aware of their presence.

For a while, Sanji stood still, allowing the tide of people to pass him by. When they were gone, he let out a long, exhausted sigh and leaned away from Zoro.

"Well, so much for the welcoming committee." He rested his back against a stone pillar and cracked his neck, feeling little jolts of pain run down his spine. "Do you see Luffy and the others anywhere?"

Zoro rolled his eyes and threw him a condescending snicker.

"Don't tell me you were expecting a parade or something like that?"

"A decent bed and a shower would have been nice." Sanji's fingers tapped on his knee, his eyes still darting around, trying to locate the Straw Hats among the crowd. "And I would kill for a cigarette right about now."

"The first two can be arranged. The third one might be a bit complicated."

Sanji spun around to find himself staring into the piercing eyes of Solomon Winter. The mayor of Stillwater was standing next to the heavy library door, looking like sleep had eluded him for most of the night and the whole morning. Even the genuinely happy smile seemed worn out and almost etched on his tired visage. Zoro opened his mouth but the man seemed to sense the unspoken question on his mind and nodded reassuringly.

"Your friends are okay. They are looking for you." His smile grew wider at the swordsman's relieved sigh. "I never thought I would live to see this day. Some divine providence must have sent you here."

Zoro let out a dismissive chuckle and readjusted his swords, carefully inspecting the sheaths for damage.

"I think divine providence would have found someone better."

Solomon shook his head at the swordsman's sarcastic expression.

"It is not always easy to be an instrument of God." Zoro just stretched his arms and continued to check his weapons carefully ignoring the older man. "We will have a lot to talk about tonight. Everyone here should know that you've done for…"

His voice trailed off as his eyes slowly focused on the long silver chain still hanging loosely from Zoro's neck.

"Where did you get that?"

Zoro didn't answer. His gray eyes veered in Sanji's direction deflecting the task onto him.

"From Mir…"

Sanji stopped himself half-way through feeling like he had just stepped on a landmine. The change in the mayor's demeanor had taken him completely by surprise. The happy, relaxed smile fled from his face, replaced by a stern mask as he pointed towards the relic with a grave expression.

"I mean…"

Sanji found himself stuttering, as a flare of righteous anger lit up the old man's eyes. His mind was racing desperately to come up with an excuse to change the subject, but he could tell that Solomon had already figured out his answer anyway. In his mind, he cursed. The last thing he was looking for right now was another confrontation.

A loud, unmistakable yell tore through the crowd.

It was accompanied by a pair of long rubbery arms that stretched from somewhere on the other side of the street. The hands grabbed a nearby bench and propelled a wiry, black haired shadow with the biggest grin Sanji had ever seen. Luffy ricocheted against a couple of walls, swooshed under a big stone arch and slammed into Zoro laughing like a maniac all the way through. Sanji winced as the swordsman's muffled groan reached his ears. Being on the other side of Luffy's affections could be painful even when you were healthy and unhurt.

He looked at Solomon again whose steely eyes were staring directly at him now.

"Is that monster gone?"

The anger in his voice had disappeared, but Sanji could still feel the tension in every word. He nodded.

"Yes, gone forever. He won't be bothering you anymore."

"Do you swear?"

The mayor shifted his gaze to the swordsman, still wrapped in Luffy's bear hug a couple of steps away. Sanji got the uneasy feeling that Miriam might have left something out of her description when she handed him the silver chain. He stepped forward, making the watery eyes focus on him again.

"I swear on my life."

Solomon's expression softened a bit. Finally, he gave him a slight nod and bowed.

"Stillwater owes you all a great debt. Now I must return to my duties. There's still much to do." He headed towards the library but his hand lingered on the doorknob as he turned to Sanji once more. "I would return that chain as soon as possible if I were you. People might get… upset if they notice it missing."

"I will." Sanji hesitated for a second. "As for the person that gave it to me…"

Solomon just shook his head.

"I don't claim to know who gave it to you. Just return it as promptly as possible and we won't mention it again."

Sanji felt his eyes widen a bit he nodded in response.

"I will, I promise."

Solomon bowed one more time and disappeared behind the library door. Sanji had exactly one second to brace himself before Luffy's arms wrapped around him and dragged him away as well.

* * *

"So, what happened to you two exactly?"

The question was voiced in a calm, serious tone that did not fit the reindeer doctor at all. Sanji narrowed his eyes under the triple layer of bandages covering his head. Chopper had been his usual, excitable self when he managed to pull Luffy away from them. He had fussed over them like a mother, prattling happily, but after a while, he turned quiet and almost somber. The rest of the Straw Hats gathered in the room seemed to regard him with pity, except Luffy who just watched his furry hands work on Sanji and the swordsman with a look of absolute confidence. Robin just calmly used her talent to hand him things when he needed them and to be as helpful as possible.

Sanji sighed, feeling the weight of the recent events pushing him over the edge of consciousness. The initial happiness of their reunion had been elating, but brief like a firework in the night. After hugging the life out of every member of the crew and lingering a bit longer on Nami and Robin, Chopper had insisted on getting them both checked out at the local clinic, but when he saw the crowds of people gathering around it, he quickly decided to build his own makeshift infirmary in Solomon's mansion. It was on their way there when Sanji realized that the town had divided itself into small groups each talking among one another in increasingly more hushed tones. The people gathered around the hospital, however, almost didn't speak at all. Their faces showed absolute exhaustion and a glimmer of hope. Some were clutching religious symbols, their lips murmuring something unintelligible. For a moment, Sanji though they looked exactly like someone waiting for a loved one to come out of a complicated medical procedure.

"Sanji?"

Nami's voice took him out of his musings. She and Usopp were sharing a small wooden bench next to a bed on which the green-haired swordsman had been sleeping soundly for the last ten minutes. Her brown eyes scrutinized his face with concern and he felt his voice coming back to him. Nami was aware of her power and she used it well. He knew he would eventually tell her everything. He always ended up telling her everything. But maybe not right now.

"It's a long story, really. I would rather tell it when my brain stops leaking out of my ears." He snickered as Chopper quickly turned his head to the side, carefully inspecting the ear canals. "I was joking. What about you guys? You and Robin okay?"

The archaeologist on the other side of the room turned around and nodded with a polite smile.

"We're fine. We weren't even frozen for that long. And Chopper has been taking good care of us."

The blush over the reindeer's furry face spread all the way to his ears as he started quickly assuring Robin that she was being too kind in his usual rude fashion. On his side of the bench, Usopp rolled his eyes and flung a rubber band towards Sanji's arm.

"I'm fine too. Glad you care and all."

"Of course you're fine! You're the invincible captain Usopp, tamer of the beast with a thousand mouths or whatever!" Sanji flashed him a bright grin. "Hell, I have to learn a few tricks from him myself. They might come in handy in the future."

"Being a kiss-ass won't help you one bit, you know." The marksman pinched the bridge of his nose, still sulking slightly. "But seriously, we seem to be in much better shape than you guys. Or the rest of the island for that matter."

The comment made a shadow cross Chopper's face. Even Luffy, rocking happily on his chair, stopped. Sanji felt a cold hand clutch at his insides.

"What's wrong? Did something happen with the other people?"

Nami averted her eyes and turned to Usopp who ignored her silent plea for help. Their captain shrugged and looked at Chopper who let out a deep sigh and hung his head.

"Well, I don't know myself. It's just… shock, I guess. Some of them are missing memories, some are complete amnesiacs. Some of them are just plain catatonic." He paused, as if trying to collect himself and continued. "It's hard to tell whether it's physical or not, most of them won't even respond to questions. They'll need therapy and medical help that is beyond my area of expertise. I tried to…"

His voice hitched in his throat. Robin crouched beside him, her long fingers sinking affectionately into the brown fur.

"You did everything you could. You cannot ask anything more of yourself."

"It still feels like I'm useless." The little reindeer kept his eyes fixed on the floor gritting his teeth. "It's like I'm only able to patch up you guys. I want to help all of them, but they're just so many. And I don't know what to do…"

Luffy's arm stretched from across the room and grabbed Chopper's head, turning the reindeer doctor towards him. His face bore a bright, reassuring smile.

"You've been helping around in that hospital the whole night. They have other doctors who can take it from there." He beamed even wider, his dark eyes traveling towards the sleeping swordsman. "I wish I could have been there to help you guys. You wouldn't have been banged up so hard if I was around."

Sanji felt unease creep into him at Luffy's eager expression. For a moment, he found himself wondering if Luffy would have been able to forgive Aron Fellman had he been in his place.

"You tend to hog all the action, captain. Leave something for the rest of us." Sanji turned towards Zoro, who seemed to be so far out, he wasn't even snoring. "What about him? How is he doing?"

Chopper nodded.

"That spirit messed him up pretty badly, but it's nothing some bed rest and medication won't fix. Now stop fidgeting and follow the light."

He turned to Sanji and tilted his head backwards. A small pen-like flashlight appeared in his hooves and a second later, a thin yellow beam hit his right eye. He heard the reindeer click his tongue disapprovingly as he squirmed and tried to turn away.

"You should be sleeping too, by the way." Chopper gave his eyes one last look and clicked the flashlight off. "It's the only way to assure you will stay put and rest, in my experience."

Sanji fell silent for a while, his eyes still hovering on the bandages on Zoro's head and arm. When he spoke again, he felt exhaustion wash over him again.

"It's funny; all I could think when walking back here is how I would sleep for a week. And now my eyes just won't close."

"I have something that can help, if you want it."

He pointed to his medical bag hanging on a nearby chair. Sanji shook his head vehemently.

"No, no drugs, they just make it worse. I'll sleep when it comes to me."

Chopper sighed and went back to readjusting his bandages.

"All right, it's your decision. Just try to take it easy. I'm still not sure how much damage was done to your ears and eyes." His hooves prodded his temples and Sanji bit his lip as a small jolt of pain rushed through his head. "Seriously, what did that thing do to you?"

"Turn me inside out, I think. Is there a medical term for that?"

"I doubt it."

Chopper was about to add something else, but stopped half-way through at the sound of footsteps near the door. Sanji flung back a loose bandage hanging over his face and looked towards the entrance where a familiar face framed by two long braids stared in embarrassment at the five pairs of eyes examining her.

"Sorry, I thought you were alone." Miriam's fingers curled tightly around a big steaming mug in her hands. "I'll come back later."

"No wait! You don't have to…" Sanji felt the five pairs of eyes slowly focusing on him instead and wondered how far the crew's overactive imagination was going. "Is this about the relic? Has Solomon…?"

Miriam's brown eyes widened in confusion. Sanji felt a sigh of relief escape his lips.

"No, nothing like that. I just… well… I wanted to."

She stammered and looked at the crew again. Robin, who had been a silent observer in the background, rose from her chair and beckoned Luffy closer.

"Come on, let's go see if we can help outside. I'm sure you have things to talk about."

Miriam nodded gratefully at the archaeologist, but remained where she stood, waiting for the Straw Hats to leave the room. Usopp's eyes widened slightly as he walked by and Sanji did his best to refrain from glaring daggers at him. As far as he was concerned, anger was a clear admission of guilt.

"Chopper said take it easy, remember?"

The marksman's voice was barely a whisper, but it still made Sanji jab a knee under his ribs.

"Shut up! What the hell are you implying?"

"Nothing, I'm just messing with you." Usopp rubbed his side and gave him a hurt look. "Get better soon, I'll see you guys at tonight's celebration. I'm having Cocoyashi flashbacks already."

He winked at him and trotted out of the room. Miriam's eyes followed him as he ran down the hall screaming for the rest of the crew to wait.

"They really are quite an interesting bunch, aren't they?"

Her voice had lost that nervous ring and sounded warm again, even if slightly tired. Sanji chuckled and shook his head.

"I would not have them any other way. You wanted to talk to me?"

She nodded, looking at Zoro's sleeping form behind him.

"Are you strong enough to walk?"

Sanji rested his feet on the wooden floor, tentatively shifting his weight from one foot to another. Finally, he stood up and picked up his shoes from under the bench.

"Sure, let's go to the garden. I could do with some fresh air."


	14. The art of letting go

Gravel and dry leaves crackled under Sanji's feet when he walked outside and leaned on the heavy door to prevent it from swinging shut. The small inner garden was deserted and ominously silent. Protected by solid walls from all four sides, the place had survived the battle with the spirit but even here, telltale cracks in the stone path and uprooted trees reminded him of what had happened two days ago. A small, delicate statue of a swan lay in pieces to his left and next to it, a row of rosebushes prostrated on the ground, crushed under a fallen column. Somewhere far ahead, a broken bird cage hung from a branch, squeaking gently on its chain.

He stepped aside, allowing Miriam to walk into the greying sunlight. The maid slipped out of her cotton shoes and into wooden ones, then walked down three marble steps leading to the path. She stood silent for a while, her eyes sweeping over the empty garden. When the door closed behind them, she turned around and handed him yellow mug.

"Here, I brought something for you."

Sanji bent down and took the mug from her hands. The reddish-brown content sloshed in his grip, its consistency reminding him of particularly liquid chocolate. As he brought it closer, he was greeted with a strong, spicy scent.

"Thank you." He bowed and took a small sip, feeling the warm liquid coating his mouth pleasantly. "Smells nice. What is it?"

"A local remedy against… well, everything." Miriam chuckled. Her eyes lit up for a second as they watched him drink the aromatic beverage in increasingly larger gulps. "The local priests are offering it to people still waiting outside the hospital. It's supposed to lift your spirits. Given the circumstances, we could all use some."

The last words made her frown as she looked away. Sanji remembered what Chopper had explained about the rest of the cursed villagers and felt the cold hand of dread grip at his insides again.

"How's Kara?"

Miriam raised her head and gave him a reassuring nod. Warmth returned to her features at the mention of the little girl.

"She's going to be okay. She's still a bit confused about what happened but she spent very little time as a statue so there's no risk of any long-term side effects." The last words were recited almost mechanically, as if she was remembering them from somebody else. "I left her with her parents at the hospital. The doctors say having her around may help them recover faster."

Sanji's eyes narrowed as he took another sip from the cup.

"I thought she was your child."

Miriam nodded again. A ghost of a smile played at the edges of her mouth.

"She is. Well, she might as well be. Her parents were turned when she was just a baby so I am the only mother she knows." She brushed a strand of black hair away from her face and strolled down the stone path, skillfully avoiding fallen branches. "This is going to be tougher on her than the curse. I tried to explain but I don't think she understands yet."

Her last statement carried a hint of sadness. Sanji opened his mouth but felt the words of comfort die in his throat. In light of the recent events, they felt empty and meaningless. A little voice at the back of his mind scolded him for not trying harder but in his heart he suspected that nothing he said right now could make her feel any better. Feeling absolutely lost, he found himself following her through the garden, clearing out rubble in his path.

"Thank you for keeping the Soul Chain safe. I would've never forgiven myself if something had happened to it."

The relief in Miriam's voice awoke a pang of guilt in Sanji. He remembered the mayor's expression when he saw the silver relic around the swordsman's neck and cursed himself for letting the maid's name slip through.

"I think Solomon knows you gave it to me." He did his best to avoid looking at her directly. "He didn't seem too happy about it."

The woman's eyes widened a bit at the revelation. She slowed down, allowing him to catch up with her and let out a long sigh.

"I'll accept any punishment he sees fit for that. I should have never done it in the first place." Her lips pressed together in a thin line as she hung her head in resignation. "I guess I was too angry to think about sacrilege."

Sanji stared at her in stunned silence. Solomon's outburst back at the square suddenly took a completely different form in his mind. He made a mental note of keeping the relic out of sight before he could figure out how to discreetly return it.

"Sacrilege?"

The maid nodded.

"This relic is said to contain all the souls of Aron Fellman's victims. According to Stillwater tradition, it's supposed to remain at the temple so the gods can ease their suffering from the curse. To remove it from its place at the altar means to strip them from that holy protection." Miriam's face fell as she suddenly turned away and picked up the pace. "I must be really twisted for doing something like that. After all, my own daughter was among them."

Her voice broke slightly at the last sentence. Sanji quickly began stammering something about her being absolutely wrong before her brown eyes pierced through him and silenced him on the spot. His stomach sank as he realized he was wasting his breath. Miriam did not need his comfort. She had come here seeking something completely different.

"Why did you take such a big risk to give it to me then?"

His question made her expression darken even further. For a few moments, she just continued walking on as if determined to ignore it. Finally, she stopped and lowered herself onto a stone bench. Her movements seemed deliberately slow and Sanji had the feeling that she was doing everything in her power to keep her emotions under control.

"Because I had to do _something_!"

The utter frustration in the last word shattered him to the core. He remained silent, waiting for her to continue but Miriam just stared at the ground, her hands slowly curling into fists on her knees. A stream of comfort phrases arose in Sanji's mind but he dismissed them. Miriam's steely eyes were the best cue for him to shut up and let her do the talking.

"Have you ever killed someone?"

The question almost made him choke on his drink. He stifled a coughing fit and looked at her over the yellow mug, wondering if he had misheard her words. The unwavering eyes staring straight at him told him he was wrong.

"Well… I…" He found himself stammering again, his mind racing through every battle he ever fought in his life. "No… never. At least I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

Miriam did not answer.

"Have you ever wanted to?"

Her eyes quickly left his face and settled on the pebbles below her again. In the resulting silence, he heard himself replying,

"Yeah, I did."

Miriam gave him the faintest of nods. Sanji could not help feeling like he had just passed some complicated test again.

"I've seen this monster take everything away from me." Miriam's voice was somber when she spoke. "It turned my mother when I was eight. My father died at sea before I was born so there was no one I could depend on until Amos and Kiera stepped up. My mother had worked as a maid in their house her entire life so they took me in. Those were Kara's birth parents."

Sanji sat next to her on the bench, keeping a polite distance. The gesture made Miriam's fists relax a bit but her shoulders remained hunched and her eyes fixed on the ground. The fact that she still referred to Kara's parents in the past tense did not escape him.

"It was really kind of them, you know? They could have just left me at the orphanage and nobody would have thought less of them." For a second, the affection fled from her face, replaced by a dark grimace. "I was a stupid kid, though. I did nothing but cry and yell at them for the next couple of months. I was convinced that they just wanted another servant and I resented them for that. They could have just shrugged and thrown me back in the orphanage but they didn't. I have spent six years trying to be half as good a parent."

She chocked back something between a sob and a sigh. Her lips trembled as her teeth sunk into her lower lip, draining the color away from the skin.

"Then on the night of my ninth birthday, I ran away. I went back to my old house where my mother's statue was kept. I must have sat there in the dark for hours, just talking to it about how horrible my life was and how much I missed her." Her voice was growing thicker with every word but she powered through, as if wishing to get it over with. "I remember getting more and more frustrated until I literally started punching her statue, screaming at her to come back and rescue me. I guess I was stronger than I expected back then."

Tears finally welled up in her eyes but did not fall. Sanji felt his stomach drop to his feet.

"You mean…?"

He trailed off, not sure what to say. Miriam blinked back the tears and gave him an imperceptible nod.

"I broke my mother's statue, yes. I don't even remember what happened afterwards, just that I woke up at my new family's place, sobbing into my pillow." Pure disdain colored her features as she let out a pained laugh. "Anyway, things got better eventually. I got over myself and came to love them like my own parents. When Kara was born, I was delighted to have a little sister. And then…"

She paused again, her jaw muscles clenching behind the pale cheeks. Sanji shook his head, guessing the next turn of events.

"They were turned too, right?"

She nodded sharply.

"The spirit came through the window. They found them both hunched over the crib. I had to break off the side panel to her get out." She forced out a grim smile. "Amos and Kiera had moved here from far away, they had no one who could claim their baby. I was barely eighteen at the time but I fought tooth and nail to keep her with me. She was the only family I had left, after all. How could I abandon her?"

The quiet defeat in her voice was slowly building up to anger.

"I spent six years raising money to get out of Stillwater. Everyone with enough brains and resources had left anyway. When Kara was turned, I felt like I couldn't go on anymore." She tore her gaze from the ground and looked at him, her expression cold and harsh. "Do you know what it's like to feel powerless? To feel like you can't protect the people you love?"

The words hit him like a punch in the gut. Sanji remembered his kicks going through the spirit time and again and the mindless anger that flooded him when he saw Usopp's statue hiding behind a column. He had a feeling that the memories were going to haunt him for a very long time.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

Miriam sighed and bit her lip again.

"That's how that abomination made us feel every single day. I know taking the relic was stupid but it was the only thing I could think of to help. I couldn't just stand by and watch him destroy everyone I love. And even now, my mother…"

She fell silent and hung her head. Sanji felt his heart sink when tears welled up in her eyes again.

"You should forgive yourself. What happened that night wasn't your fault. It was just an accident."

Sanji realized he had messed up before he even finished speaking. A dark shadow descended over Miriam's face. She stood up from the bench, long braids falling from her shoulders and took a couple of steps down the stone path, moving away from him. When she spun around, her eyes burned with a strange fire that made his mouth snap shut before he could apologize.

"Don't go there." The last word sounded soft but stern. "I know that look; I got it from everyone in Stillwater when I broke my mother's statue. Everyone kept telling me that it wasn't my fault." A mirthless laugh escaped her lips. "I didn't know how to tell them that I didn't feel any guilt. I don't blame myself for what happened to my mother.

There was another pause as her eyes scrutinized his every move, carefully studying his reaction.

"I blame Fellman. I hate him. He's finally gone and I still hate him. Does that make me evil?"

Sanji felt his mouth go dry. For a moment, he heard Solomon's voice in his head recounting the man's crimes. Memories of pain, and thirst and maddening hunger resurfaced followed by the screams of people fleeing from a burning house. His head swam as he remembered Kara's terrified rictus, frozen in Nami's arms. Who was he to tell right from wrong at this point? Who was he to pass judgment on her?

"It makes you human."

His answer made Miriam's eyes widen a little. Her lips still pressed in a stern, tight line relaxed and settled in a warm smile.

"Human, huh?" She turned away from him and stared pensively at the sky peeking in blue patches in a sea of clouds. "Solomon always told me that I should let go. He said that hate is the poison that prevents you from hearing the voice of God. There's a passage in scripture that says the hand of God will smite the evildoers and bring comfort to the needy. How can God tell us not to hate and then promise us our revenge?"

Sanji didn't answer. He stood up and walked closer, leaning against a column a couple of steps from her. For a while, the garden was quiet until Miriam broke the silence again.

"I suppose it doesn't matter, I never believed in it myself. That's why I came here."

Sanji raised his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"I wanted to see God's promised revenge. I wanted to thank you."

Her brown eyes seemed to be looking right through him and for a second, he considered telling her the truth about what happened in the cave. In his mind, he quickly rehearsed a loosely knit story about how he had forgiven the spirit and why. However, the maid's serene, peaceful expression brought his deliberations to a screeching halt. There were some things better left unsaid, some secrets that should never be revealed. Guilt and shame washed over him as he fought with his own conscience but the fight didn't last long. He could not bring himself to erase that smile.

Instead, he took the most practical approach he could think of.

"There's an idiot moss-head sleeping upstairs you should be thanking too. We did it together."

Miriam's brow furrowed as she gave him a confused look.

"I managed to talk to him a bit when your reindeer friend was trying to get you treated at the hospital. He told me I had only you to thank."

Sanji almost dropped the yellow mug in his hands. He vaguely remembered Zoro disappearing for a while during their brief time at the hospital entrance but he had just assumed the swordsman was lost as usual. For a moment, he considered that Miriam had just confused him with someone else but her earnest face dispelled those doubts.

He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. If there was a Hell, it was probably freezing over.

"Don't listen to him; his head was hit too many times during the battle. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Then I'll make sure to thank him as well." Miriam bowed profusely and gave him a warm look. "Get better, there's a celebration tonight and a big service at the temple tomorrow. You should all be there. We owe you everything."

With those words, she turned around and walked towards the entrance, her wooden shoes clicking softly on the stone path.

Sanji watched her leave with a heavy heart. He had been a fool to assume that Stillwater's problems would be over with the spirit's disappearance. Neither were theirs for that matter. Explaining what really happened in the cave was not going to be easy, especially with the aftermath of the tragedy still lingering, but at least this time, there wasn't an invincible monster on their heels. This time, he had time to think things through. Maybe, this could turn out all right after all.

He had to talk to Zoro.

But not before he took care of one last loose end.


	15. In the end

**Holy shit! I did it! I actually finished a multichaptered fanfic. I think I'm gonna cry here!**

**Anyway, here's the last chapter.**

* * *

It was already sundown when he reached the temple.

The building, fashioned out of coarse grey stone, stood atop a tall hill overlooking the sea on the southern shore of Stillwater. It didn't look like any temple Sanji had seen before with its plain, featureless façade and crude columns on both sides of the entrance. Even the doors were bare except for the bronze knobs, which had long ago lost their shine. From afar, it resembled a large warehouse with small windows on its side and a big wooden dome over it. If not for the precise instructions, he would have been sure he had come to the wrong place.

Inside, however, it was a whole different story. Upon pushing the heavy doors open he found himself standing in a large space that smelled strongly of incense and lamp oil. The dome turned out to have large round windows that opened inwards, flooding the temple with the dimming light of the setting sun. Inside, murals and carvings adorned every centimeter of the stone walls. Depictions of daily life, kings and warriors and magical beasts stretched all the way towards the wooden vault from where long stripes of multicolored cloth hung like streamers. Little silver bells at the end of each stripe swayed gently in the sea breeze and upon listening closely, Sanji noticed they were all tuned differently. For a moment, he wondered if he was seeing some complex musical instrument meant to be played by an entire crowd.

He slid off his shoes and walked barefoot between the rows of low benches displayed in a circular pattern around the center of the temple. There, right under the biggest window stood a large altar carved out of white alabaster. A thick, sturdy table, clearly intended for offerings was presided by a massive statue of a muscled man whose exposed torso split into dozens of tentacles right below his bellybutton. It loomed over the flat surface staring at Sanji with white, unseeing eyes; its hands gripping the edges of the slab in silent expectation. When he walked closer, he noticed a thin layer of dust covering every inch of the statue except for the neck where the milky stone reflected the orange light of the dusk.

His fingers undid the knot on the cotton bag on his shoulder and took out the silver chain. The wooden tags clattered softly against the stone chest as he slid the relic over the statue's neck. He resisted the impulse to look back into the sea-creature's empty eyes.

Somewhere above him, the silver bells chimed under another gust of wind.

He smiled.

A sharp pain stung the left side of his head making him wince and lower himself on one of the wooden benches. The way to the temple had been longer than he expected plus his current condition did not help things. Stillwater's residents were considerate enough to carve steps into the rocky hillside but he still felt winded when he reached the top. Something white and soft brushed against his cheek and as he looked up, he noticed the bandages on his head coming undone. Chopper would have a fit when he found out. With a heavy sigh, he considered fixing them himself but there was no way he could do it without making it worse. Maybe the unexpected company would be willing to help.

"Hey Zoro."

The carefully muffled steps behind his back stopped. For a moment, silence hung in the air before the swordsman's annoyed voice confirmed his suspicions.

"Let me guess, loud swords?"

Sanji turned around. Against the reddish light on the horizon, Zoro's tanned skin looked even darker but as the man approached the altar, he could see the signs of the battle with the spirit still etched on his face. He wasn't as ghostly pale as when he lay sleeping at Solomon's mansion but even now, weariness and fatigue were clearly present in every step he took.

He nodded carefully and smirked.

"Told you, you should work on that. It makes you easier to notice."

Zoro grunted something unintelligible in reply.

"I heard you the first time, shit cook." He moved closer and leaned against a wooden bench. "So, what's the verdict? You gonna live?"

Sanji almost laughed at the swordsman's nonchalant tone. Zoro had never been very good at hiding his thoughts and now, he could read them on his face like an open book. He wondered if his were just as obvious in the swordsman's eyes.

"I'm still breathing, aren't I?" He fished out a box of matches out of the cotton bag and flipped open a pack of cigarettes. "What about you? How did you manage to sneak past Chopper?"

"I didn't," Zoro muttered. "When I woke up, he was already gone."

In the distance, a bell struck nine times, its sound drifting through the quiet evening air. In his mind, Sanji cursed for allowing himself to sleep that long. He had fully intended to return the Soul Chain as fast as possible but somewhere between late morning and early afternoon he had collapsed on the grass mattress in the infirmary and went out like a light for several hours. When he opened his eyes, the mansion was bustling with people running back and forth, with increasingly complicated tasks. He barely managed to snatch aside one of the local delivery boys to ask him for directions and when he had finally set out, the sun was already slowly beginning its descent towards the edge of the world.

Zoro's gaze swept the empty temple, settling on the monstrous alabaster statue. Now Sanji was even more aware of the awkward posture the swordsman was standing in and how he favored one leg. He wondered what had possessed the idiot to climb all the way up here undoing most of the reindeer doctor's work but there was nothing he could do about it anymore.

"What are you doing here?", he asked. "If you're looking for the Merry, it's on the other side of the island. You know, the one that's flat. And has a docking bay and everything."

He regretted his tone almost immediately. Lighting flashed in the grey eyes as Zoro took a step forward and stumbled; his fingers gripping the back of the bench for balance. The swordsman glared at him menacingly as if evaluating his intentions but Sanji remained where he was, his stance relaxed. If Zoro wanted to wreck his body even further, he sure as hell was not going to be part of it.

"Screw you, dartbrow! You're not worth it!" Zoro leaned back with disdain, as Sanji suppressed a sigh. "I was looking for some peace and quiet. The whole town is going crazy right now. There's some sort of celebration tonight, too. And Nami has already managed to arrange it so that everything we bought on the island before the spirit attacked is free of charge. Plus some extras on the side, of course."

He rolled his eyes at the memory. Sanji smiled, tucking a loose bandage behind his ear.

"That's Nami for you." He lit a crumpled cigarette and let it hang loosely between his lips. "So while everyone else is helping or looking out for the crew, you've decided to weasel out of everything as usual?"

"You're one to talk." His companion's voice picked up a condescending ring. "What are _you_ doing here then? Did I interrupt your prayers?"

"I don't pray."

Zoro's eyes narrowed at his answer. Sanji watched his reaction with amusement and mild intrigue. The swordsman stayed silent for a while, apparently losing all interest in the conversation before asking.

"How come?"

Sanji did not reply. His gaze drifted towards the pristine white altar, now completely bathed in the light of the dying sun. Under that crimson hue, the eyes of the octopus-man looked bloodshot and even more imposing. It was hard to imagine a deity like that being capable of love or compassion. It was hard for him to imagine any deity that would be bothered to care about the affairs of humans. And yet, he found the idea of such a being strangely comforting.

"I never figured out who to pray to."

He half-expected Zoro to laugh or to throw another sarcastic remark but his answers were a mild shrug and silence as his companion turned towards the setting sun.

"We should get back," Zoro walked between the wooden benches and stood at the entrance, his face half hidden in the long shadows. "Solomon wants to know what happened in that cave. Not to mention the rest of the people. They have been grilling me ever since I woke up."

Sanji held back a long winded curse. After Miriam disappeared behind the garden door, he had wandered around Stillwater and even managed to talk to some of the villagers waiting on the streets. Chopper's explanation gave him only a vague idea about the condition of the people affected by the curse but the thick voices of their loved ones told him more than he needed to know. Walking through the little town had been like witnessing a group of soldiers returning from a long war. There was laughter and tears of joy in some places. In others, the tears had a much more bitter taste.

They were tears of people cheated out of a miracle.

He made up his mind upon returning to the mansion. For the next half an hour, he found himself walking in circles around the infirmary, pondering on the right words before the exhaustion and lack of sleep finally took their toll. He hoped his seven-hour-nap had not cost him everything.

"What did you tell them?" he asked, his voice deceptively steady.

Zoro shrugged again, his face reflecting genuine confusion.

"I told them to talk to you. I still barely understand how that whole forgiveness thing worked."

Sanji released a breath he did not realize he was holding. As relief flooded him, his lips curved in a malicious smile.

"Is that why you told Miriam she had only me to thank?"

Zoro's eyebrows twitched at the mention of Kara's mother. His expression quickly turned sour, as if anticipating a long streak of merciless teasing. Sanji's lips unwillingly split into a big, toothy grin. For all he knew, the swordsman was completely right.

"Don't get a big head over this!", he scowled. "I'm pretty sure I softened him up for you."

"Like hell you did!" For a moment, Sanji forgot himself as he jumped from his seat, a loud, familiar yell rising in his throat. He quickly recovered, his voice turning serious again. "It doesn't matter anyway. I was wrong."

He could see the subsequent retort die in Zoro's throat at his unexpected change in demeanor. The green-haired man gave him a long, inscrutable look and frowned.

"You'll have to narrow it down for me, love cook. You tend to be wrong about many things."

Sanji sighed, letting the jab slide.

"I was wrong about Solomon. When he first told us about Fellman's trial, I said that he only lamented the consequences of marooning him." He paused at the memory of the mayor's guilty eyes. "I think he honestly regrets that decision. It's the rest of Stillwater that's the problem. It's the rest that must never know the truth."

Zoro let out an annoyed grunt.

"So what? That spirit is gone forever. It doesn't matter how they feel about it anymore."

Sanji shook his head and blew a long strand of smoke towards the colored stripes above him.

"Of course it does. They missed their chance for justice thirty years ago. But we can still give them peace."

"At least they got their loved ones back. Not everyone gets to be that lucky."

There was something in his voice that made Sanji pause. Zoro's eyes hardened, the muscles of his jaw clenching ever so slightly under the tanned skin. For a while, he stared straight ahead, purposefully avoiding Sanji's gaze. Under the growing shadows, he almost looked remorseful for speaking.

"Zoro?"

He was surprised at how quiet the name came out. Maybe the swordsman was too, since he stood silent, his face still hidden under the cloak of the rapidly approaching night. The awkward silence lasted exactly two seconds before Zoro turned around and cocked his head, his lips curved in a small, mocking grin.

"I'm sorry, cook. Were you trying to sound cool over there?"

Sanji slammed a hand over his face with a loud groan. Sometimes it really felt like talking to a wall with him.

"Look, it's not that simple, moss-head! The spirit is gone but the damage is still there." He walked briskly to the entrance and stretched an arm towards the houses in the distance. "Look at this place, it's not that big. There must be at least one cursed person in every family and half of them may never recover! Do you think their friends and loved ones are in a forgiving mood right now? You can't force absolution out of people!"

Zoro just continued to grin at him, almost amused by the exaltation in his voice.

"Isn't that what that spirit did to you? You would have died if you hadn't forgiven him. Sounds like forcing absolution to me."

"That's different. I meant it."

This time it was Zoro's time to be dumbstruck. The mocking grin wavered and slid off his face, replaced by utter puzzlement.

"Come again?"

Sanji paused, savoring the effect. He had come to treasure that look on the swordsman's face since he did not get to see it often. When he spoke, however, he felt the smug sensation vanishing with every word.

"It had to end, Zoro. They've been stuck in this loop of hatred and violence for thirty years. Someone had to put a stop to it; I was just the first one really willing to."

Zoro did not answer. His eyes lingered on Sanji for a while, almost as if they were trying to figure out a complex puzzle. Eventually, he let out a long sigh and leaned back against the wooden frame with a smirk.

"You probably should have thought of that before promising to make him pay, don't you think?"

Sanji felt a pang of guilt as Miriam's grateful smile floated up in his memory. He closed his eyes and hung his head, letting the cool evening wind loosen the bandages around his head even more.

"Some promises have to be broken; for the good of everyone involved."

"Right…" He felt a nonchalant tone returning to Zoro's voice as his crewmate walked out of the darkening temple. "Seems like you have it all figured out. What are still sulking about?"

Sanji cringed slightly at the open question. Maybe he was becoming an open book to the green-haired swordsman as well. No sense hiding it any longer. Maybe they could actually talk like civilized human beings for once.

"You tried to take me out." He rolled his eyes at Zoro's quizzical look. "Back in the cave, before we got to the spirit. You tried to take me out. Don't think I've forgotten."

A deep frown spread over the tanned forehead. Eventually, the grey eyes widened as Zoro stared at him with a mix of disbelief and righteous indignation.

"And I would do it again! You were useless against that thing. Hell, we got lucky it decided to go along with your idiotic ramblings!" He held Sanji's icy glare and took a step forward, his voice growing louder with every word. "You think I was just going to stand by and let you get yourself killed?"

Sanji remained perfectly still, refusing to back off. His voice came out steady and levelled, a striking contrast to the swordsman's.

"I don't care. Give me your word you'll never pull this shit again."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Zoro's mouth.

"I thought some promises have to be broken. For the good of everyone involved."

The triumphant smug spark dancing in his eyes nearly made Sanji forget about his injuries and slam him into the side of the building. The memory of Wadou's hilt narrowly missing his head resurfaced in his mind and brought with it a wave of bitterness and resentment. Who the hell did the swordsman think he was to decide what Sanji could handle or not? Who the hell was he to leave him behind?

"Goddamnit Zoro, I'm serious! Just fucking say it!"

He could feel his own voice cracking in anger around the last two words. His whole body tensed up, ready to kick the promise out of him if he had to. Zoro's condescending smile slowly vanished. For a while he was quiet, eyeing him closely as if expecting him to launch into another cursing tirade. Finally, he threw his hands in the air and stepped aside, rolling his eyes in resignation.

"Okay, fine! I solemnly swear never to stop you if you ever try to do something stupid again. Happy now, love cook?"

His annoyed tone was hiding something that almost resembled admiration. Sanji felt a feline grin unfold on his face as he gave him a slight nod.

"Ecstatic." He threw one last look at the dark temple and turned towards the stairs carved in the mountainside. "Come on, let's get back before Luffy finishes all the food."

Zoro let out a short laugh and followed him. In the quiet evening air, Sanji could distinctly hear the soft clacking of his swords with every step the swordsman took. His fond smile went unnoticed as they slowly walked down the steps and into the dying sun.

* * *

**And there it is! It's finally over! Thanks to everyone who stuck with this fic for nearly a year, it really meant a lot. I know you've all been holding back on your reviews but now that the fic is over, you can finally unleash them all. (wink wink)**

**No, seriously. Let me know what you think. Every comment makes my day.**


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